Jurgen Klopp Speaks Out on UCL Final, Labels Sergio Ramos 'Ruthless and Brutal'

Jurgen Klopp labelled Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos "ruthless and brutal" on Friday, two months on from the Spain international's key role in Liverpool's 3-1 defeat to Los Blancos in the 2018 UEFA Champions League final.

It was Ramos' challenge that led to Mohamed Salah's departure after just half an hour in Kiev, Ukraine, and the 32-year-old also clashed with Loris Karius before the goalkeeper went on to make two key errors.

The Liverpool manager has finally spoken out about the final and condemned Ramos' performance, per Sky Sports:

"If you watch it back and you are not with Real Madrid, then you think it is ruthless and brutal. If you put all of the situations of Ramos together, and I have watched football since I was five years old, then you will see a lot of situations with Ramos.

"[With Salah] you don't think 'Wow, good challenge'. The thing is, I saw the ref taking charge of big games at the World Cup afterwards and nobody really thinks about that later. But I think in a situation like that, somebody needs to judge it better. If VAR is coming then it is a situation where you have to look again. Not to give a red card or whatever but to look again and say 'What is that?'

"It was ruthless. I don't think Mo would have always got injured in that situation, this time it was unlucky, but it is an experience that we cannot have. I'm not sure if it is an experience we will have again—go there and put an elbow to the goalkeeper, put their goalscorer down like a wrestler in midfield and then you win the game."

Controversy abounded following Real's third consecutive Champions League victory, with hundreds of thousands calling for Ramos to be sanctioned for the coming together that led to Salah's injury, per ESPN FC.

There was also uproar around Ramos' apparent elbow on Karius after being pushed in the penalty area by Virgil van Dijk.

Mistakes from the German goalkeeper consequently led to Karim Benzema's opener and Real's third from Gareth Bale, and it was later revealed Karius had suffered a concussion in the match, per Alistair Magowan of BBC Sport.

Either side of Karius' errors, Sadio Mane netted a Liverpool equaliser before Bale came off the bench and scored a glorious overhead kick.

It is academic whether Liverpool would have won had Salah not been injured, and all Klopp and his side can do now is look ahead to the new season.

There is some excitement, as the additions of midfield duo Naby Keita and Fabinho and goalkeeper Alisson Becker have turned them into potential Premier League title winners.

The Reds are on a pre-season tour in the United States and kick off their 2018-19 season with West Ham United's visit to Anfield on August 12.