"Disappointed...not frustrated or angry": Liverpool coach Klopp after UEL exit

NEW DELHI: Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp admitted that he was "disappointed" but not "frustrated or angry" after they crashed out of the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals following their 3-1 aggregate defeat to Atalanta. Liverpool entered Gewiss Stadium trailing by 3-0 following their defeat in the first leg at Anfield. Mohamed Salah put Liverpool in front by converting the spot kick in the 7th minute of the game.

The goal raised hopes of another comeback from the Reds, just like they did against FC Barcelona in the UCL back in 2019.

"Disappointed that we did not go through, but not frustrated or angry or something like that. Now we can focus on the league and that's what we will do. We have a few days to recover, we will do that, and then will travel the day after tomorrow to London and will play Fulham, which will be tricky but we will give our absolute all. That's our competition now. I saw a good reaction from my side, we had not a great week last week obviously. This, if we want, was the start for the rest of the season with a good result and a good performance and that's how we see it," Klopp said as quoted from the club's official website.

After scoring the goal, Liverpool struggled to create clear-cut chances for the rest of the game. Salah, who scored the opener, missed the chance to reduce the defecit to one. But his effort went wide of the keeper as well as the goal.

"I loved the way we started the game. We didn't lose the tie tonight, we lost it at home. That is why we have to - and it's very easy to - congratulate Atalanta because they deserved to go through. When you win a tie against us 3-1, especially in this way, you deserve to go through, absolutely. But I loved our game anyway, especially the start. I loved the commitment and the desire, the power we developed in this game, but it was clear we better score from time to time to interrupt these kind of things otherwise it could be tricky to keep that over 90 minutes. How it always is, a second goal would have helped a little bit, it would have been a decisive thing because you saw Atalanta started very strong, confident, but with the few situations we had I think we gave them some concerns. They realised then as well it would not be easy and that's the game we gave them, so I am really fine with that," Klopp added.

After a 3-1 victory, Atalanta moved on to the semi-finals, marking a historic achievement for the club. This will be their first appearance in the final four of a UEFA tournament since the Cup Winners' Cup in 1988.