Klopp Talk: “It’s a Really Important Game for Us”

Liverpool will take on Torino Football Club for the first time in their history on Tuesday, 7 August, 2018. The match is the final in a series of nine pre-season friendlies before the return of the Premier League. The club along with Jürgen Klopp and the first team are looking to give back to the supporters on Tuesday and have additional activities planned which includes a full day of entertainment which starts at 10AM GMT. Supporters will also have the opportunity to see Liverpool legends Robbie Fowler and Ian Rush and local musician Jamie Webster.

“This game we play for two reasons,” Klopp told the club’s official website, explaining the importance of the Reds’ final pre-season friendly. “From one point of view, we needed another game because it was clear a lot of players would come back later. We will see who can start against Napoli. Those who can’t start against Napoli will start against Torino. It will be a mix-up.”

Alisson, Fabinho, Shaqiri and Naby Keita will also have their first experience of Anfield on Tuesday, getting the chance to get to know their new home in a more relaxed setting before their first Premier League experience which takes place on Sunday 12 August 2018 against David Moyes’ West Ham United. The match also gives the Reds the chance to connect with the supporters before the season starts.

“For all the new players it will be the first time in the stadium and it’s very important that you get used to all these things,” Klopp said. “But actually the main reason was that it should be the people’s game. We planned it a long, long time ago – it was still last season when we said we wanted to have this game, to make it possible for all the people in Liverpool to come to Anfield.

“I only heard about it but it’s obviously difficult to come to Anfield, to get a ticket and all that stuff. A game in midweek but in the Summer holidays should be an opportunity, against a really good opponent – it’s a really important game for us, it’s not ‘some game’ – to show up with our supporters.”

Serie A side Torino hails from Turin, Piedmont in Italy and are among the most successful clubs in Italy with seven league titles. The club finished ninth in Serie A last season and are managed by former Watford coach Walter Mazzari, and for those on Merseyside next week, tickets for Tuesday’s match can still be purchased.

“It’s important getting used to all the things in the stadium for the new players,” the manager added. “They come in for the first time and I don’t want to have that situation around the West Ham game, that they go kind of: ‘Wow, that’s Anfield!’ I really hope that the people use that to come and we have a first really nice coming together and start a very important season for us and create from the first day again a very special atmosphere.”

Up the Reds!