Jurgen Klopp admits the coronavirus threat has somehow affected preparations for Liverpool's recent Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid.
"I woke up [on Monday] and heard about the situation in Madrid, that they would close the schools and universities from Wednesday, so it was really strange to prepare for that game, to be honest," Klopp recalled speaking to Liverpoolfc.com.
"I usually don’t struggle with things around me, I can build barriers right and left when I prepare for a game, but in that moment it was really difficult."
The Reds were dominating the pitch against Atletico and had plenty of chances but scored only one goal, courtesy of Gini Wijnaldum, before the full-time whistle. Shortly after the extra-time started, Roberto Firmino scored the second and the qualification to the UCL quarterfinals looked a done deal.
However, a mistake from Adrian led to Marcos Llorente's goal. The Reds were rattled and missed another goal from Llorente, with Alvaro Morata scoring the final goal of the night.
