Even Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp's patience seemed tested when centre-back Mamadou Sakho childishly interrupted his interview with LFC TV during the week.
With gritted teeth, Klopp 'jokingly' told Sakho he would leave him in Alcatraz when the Franch defender quizzed him as to how long he thought he could live there, passive-aggressively dropping into the unwanted conversation that Sakho had arrived late to the departure gate a night previous. He wasn't just telling reporters or LFC TV, though. He was telling the fans.
Mamadou Sakho sent home from Liverpool's USA tour after falling out with Jurgen Klopp - at least it wasn't Alcatraz pic.twitter.com/Rj8QpHwILv
— Sporting Index (@sportingindex) July 26, 2016
Yesterday, Sakho was sent home from Liverpool's tour of America for breaching club discipline.
His manager, possibly calmer considering he no longer has to deal with the 26-year-old's shite, explained his decision to ESPN FC:
Everybody who lives or works in a group knows about some rules. And it's not the most serious thing in the world. But to build a group, the whole group has to respect some rules.
I don't see he doesn't have respect for the rules, but if someone forgets one or two times to do the right thing in a camp like this, in a very, very important and decisive moment... You know, if you miss one thing, okay. If you miss two things, okay. But if you miss three things...Nah.
And at this moment we have to go different ways, think about it, come to together again, speak about it. But here was not the time to speak about it. Here was the time to make a decision, only to show that you cannot do it like this. That's all. And that's why Momo flew home.
Klopp also elaborated on his decision to Sky Sports News, explaining that he can't always be the nice guy when players breach team rules. He also revealed that Sakho had been late for team gatherings three times in recent days, but insisted the former PSG defender has a future at Anfield.
WATCH: Jurgen Klopp on sending Mamadou Sakho home: "I can't always be the nice guy." https://t.co/OAGqIIPM0q https://t.co/NmOY7McCrJ
— Sky Sports News HQ (@SkySportsNewsHQ) July 28, 2016
