Gary Neville has hit back at Jurgen Klopp after the Liverpool boss took aim at him in a fierce row over the European Super League.
The Sky Sports pundit was critical of Liverpool’s owners on Sunday when news broke that they were one of six clubs looking to breakaway from the Premier League.
The plans were widely condemned by fans, the Premier League, UEFA and the UK Government on Monday, in the build-up to Liverpool’s clash with Leeds United at Elland Road.
Klopp faced the media both before and after the 1-1 draw, but hit out at Neville in his post-match comments.
“We can be emotional but I wish Gary Neville would be in a hot seat somewhere, not where the most money is,” Klopp ranted.
“Whether it’s at Man United where the most money is, Sky where the most money is.”
Klopp was angered by the focus being on his team when he feels the decision was taken by the club’s owners, who Neville has heavily criticised.
The Liverpool boss said his team “did not deserve” to be blamed, as Leeds’ players wore t-shirts with the slogan ‘football is for the fans’, and put some inside the away dressing room.
But Neville hit back with a fierce response of his own.
“Why? Why is it not fair?” Neville replied. “I’ve handed enough insults out to Liverpool over the years. Yesterday [Sunday] was nothing about insulting Liverpool Football Club.
“I don’t know why I’m living in his head to be honest with you. I don’t know what spiked him.
“Yesterday was an impassioned plea from me about football and protecting football in this country and my biggest disappointment was with Manchester United and Liverpool.
“I think I’ve equally distributed enough criticism to both clubs in the last 24 hours, so I don’t know what his problem is.”
Responding to Klopp’s personal criticisms on him, Neville said: “He talks about hotseat, I had a 25 year career at Manchester United, 11 years at Sky and I worked hard for that. I’ve not been handed it, I’ve not gone where the most money is, I didn’t have choices.
“Sir Alex Ferguson didn’t say every year, ‘Gary do you want to stay here?’ So I have no idea what he’s going on about.
“I employ 600 people in the city, I tried to look after them through a pandemic, is that not a hot enough seat for him?
“He’s done a great job at Liverpool, I’ve got no problem with Jurgen Klopp, I loved his team.
“But the fact of the matter is he’s spiky, he’s been let down by his owners, his owners have thrown him under a bus.”
The pundit added: “To be fair, we’re on the same page, we’re actually on the same team, but the fact of the matter his he can’t say what he wants to say and I can, and I accept that.
“The Jurgen Klopp we know, you know and the Liverpool fans know, he hates every single little thing about this more than I do, more than you do, because it goes against every little thing he believes in.
“He’s been let down by his owners and so have those players at Liverpool.”
