‘She meant everything to me’: Jurgen Klopp is left devastated after his 81-year-old mother’s death as Liverpool manager says he missed funeral in Germany because of Covid travel rules
- Jurgen Klopp’s mother Elisabeth died on January 19 at the age of 81
- Liverpool manager said he wasn’t able to attend funeral because of Covid-19
- Klopp paid tribute to his late mother, saying ‘she meant everything to me’
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp today told of his devastation after saying he had to miss his mother’s funeral in Germany due to Covid travel rules.
Klopp paid tribute to his mother Elisabeth, who died on January 19 aged 81, telling fans, ‘She meant everything to me’.
Germany has banned travellers from Britain due to the new Covid variant, although exceptions are allowed for people experiencing an ‘immediate family bereavement’.
Travellers must show a negative test and self-isolate for 10 days upon arrival in Germany, although this can drop to five in some areas.
Passengers returning from Germany in Britain must do the same after arriving in the UK.
The FA can apply for special exemptions for elite sports people and managers that allows them to attend training and matches without self-isolating, provided they test negative for coronavirus.
These exemptions are granted on a case-by-case basis by the Department for Culture Media and Sport and it is not clear if Klopp would have been eligible.
Elisabeth Klopp, the mother of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp (right), has died at the age of 81
Klopp pictured with his mother Elisabeth in 2011 when he was Borussia Dortmund manager
Speaking to the Schwarzwalder Bote newspaper, Klopp paid tribute to his mother, who died on January 19, saying ‘she meant everything to me’ and that a ‘wonderful commemoration’ will be planned when travel opens up again.
The 53-year-old said: ‘She meant everything to me. She was a real mum in the best sense of the world. As a devout Christian, I know she is in a better place now.’
He last visited Elisabeth in Germany for her 80th birthday but restrictions on travel imposed by the German authorities mean he won’t be able to attend the funeral in person.
‘The fact that I can’t be at the funeral is due to the terrible times,’ Klopp added. ‘As soon as the circumstances allow, we will hold a wonderful commemoration that is appropriate to it.’
He last visited Elisabeth in Germany for her 80th birthday but restrictions on travel imposed by the German authorities mean he won’t be able to attend the funeral in person.
‘The fact that I can’t be at the funeral is due to the terrible times,’ Klopp added. ‘As soon as the circumstances allow, we will hold a wonderful commemoration that is appropriate to it.’
Klopp, who was born in 1967, is the youngest of three children to come from the marriage of Elisabeth Reich and Norbert Klopp in 1960. Stefanie was born in 1960 and Isolde in 1962.
Norbert died in 2000 following a short illness at the age of 66, just a few months before Jurgen landed his first coaching job with Mainz.
Elisabeth was the second-eldest of four born to Eugen and Helene Reich, who owned a brewery in the town of Glatten. Her working life started by delivering crates of beer to taverns with her eldest sister Marianne and also running the family grocery store.
She married Norbert Klopp, who was learning the craft of making fine leather bags, after meeting at a dance. Norbert was also a goalkeeper and had trials with prominent German club Kaiserslautern.
Klopp pictured on the sidelines during Liverpool’s 4-1 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday
The same travel restrictions imposed by the German health authorities, designed to prevent mutant strains of Covid-19 that originate in Britain getting into the country, mean Liverpool must play the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie away to RB Leipzig in Budapest next week.
Liverpool’s form has slipped in recent weeks as their hopes of retaining their Premier League title have faded.
They have lost to Burnley, Brighton and Manchester City, all at home, in the league and exited the FA Cup to Manchester United all after January 19.
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