Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino, of course, met the press ahead of Sunday's League Cup final, and the Argentine then offered clear advice to referee Chris Kavanagh.
The 51-year-old hopes the referee will not be affected by the atmosphere surrounding Jurgen Klopp, who will leave Liverpool after the season. Use the 4-1 loss at Anfield as an example.
– There is no pressure on him (Klopp). There may be more pressure on those who want to celebrate with Liverpool. When we met them at Anfield I felt that many important decisions were against us. No penalty kicks were awarded. All 50-50 duels went in their favor. It always ended in a red card (free kick). I want to be treated fairly, Pochettino started.
-We will celebrate, of course (if we win). I'm the first to say that Liverpool is great and that Klopp is one of the best coaches in the world. But we had a difficult experience there, so I want my team to go to Wembley and not feel pressure. The better team will win in the end, but we must not feel pressure from the outside world.
The discontent continues
However, Mauricio Pochettino admits Liverpool were the better team at Anfield, but he cannot leave refereeing decisions aside.
– They were better than us (at Anfield), of course, but the first decision after five minutes was a clear penalty kick. In the second half there were also penalty kicks. We are Chelsea and we have to follow the same rules. If they're better, that's fine, we've ranked them, but be fair in every decision. The pressure wasn't about handing over to Klopp, no pressure is part of… you know…, Pochettino remains before Chelsea's media chief responds to the 'noise'.
Many wondered if Liverpool were feeling extra pressure after Klopp's sudden departure in the summer. There is no doubt that the players will win at least one title before the season ends, and the first opportunity will come on Sunday.
– No, no, we don't want to destroy them. Our motivation is to win for Chelsea. But please, don't let a third party on the pitch become part of Klopp's celebrations, okay? It is significant that he ended his statement with a bit of sarcasm.
Pochettino never confirmed who he was talking about, but perhaps it goes without saying that it was the refereeing team? In any case, the Argentine's 'mind games' are underway ahead of the final, so hopefully the teams will be in the middle when the match is called off.
Liverpool – Chelsea starts at 16.00 and is broadcast live on TV3+ and Viaplay.
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