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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Manchester United counterpart Erik ten Hag have urged fans not to sing songs about the club’s historic tragedies ahead of Sunday’s game.
Liverpool and United meet on Super Sunday, live on Sky Sportsbut the last match between the two clubs has been marred by groups of fans singing and mocking the tragedies of other clubs including Hillsborough, Heysel and Munich.
Last April’s game at Anfield saw United walk out after the match to condemn the “unacceptable” chants about Hillsborough from their own fans, which came just days after the anniversary of the tragedy.
Now, Liverpool and United have written an open letter together, asking fans to think again before singing the song.
Liverpool and Manchester United will meet on Super Sunday at Anfield
In his statement, Klopp said: “One of the main reasons why the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United is so special is that it is very strong and nobody wants to change this.
“But at the same time, when the rivalry is so fierce, it can go to a bad place for anybody and we don’t need that.
“We want to be noisy; we want the event to be partisan and we want the atmosphere to be electric. What we don’t want is anything beyond this and this applies especially to the type of singing that has no place. football. If we can keep the spirit and lose the poison, it will be better for everyone.
Meanwhile, Ten Hag said: “The rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool is one of the biggest in world football. We all love the enthusiasm of the fans when our teams meet, but there is a line that must not be crossed.
The last match between the two teams has seen songs about Hillsborough, Heysel and Munich
“It is unacceptable to use the loss of life – related to any tragedy – to score points, and it is time to stop. Those responsible have not only damaged the reputation of our club, but also, importantly, the reputation of themselves. fans, and the city -our big city.
“On behalf of myself, the players and the staff, we ask the fans to focus on supporting the team on Sunday, and representing the club in the right way.”
The Hillsborough incident in 1989 left 97 Liverpool fans dead at the Sheffield Wednesday stadium during the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest, in the same scene as the Heysel tragedy four years earlier, where 39 football supporters died in a mass disaster at the European Cup Final between the clubs Merseyside and Juventus.
Meanwhile, the Munich disaster left 23 people dead after a plane carrying Manchester United’s team back from a European Cup match in Belgrade crashed while trying to take off at Munich-Reim Airport.
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