Darwin Nunez faced criticism for not applauding Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp during his Anfield farewell against Wolves.
Darwin Nunez has expressed that he holds no hard feelings towards Jurgen Klopp following the Liverpool manager’s heartfelt farewell.
Klopp departed the club eight days ago after nearly nine years at the helm. During his tenure, he managed Nunez for his final two seasons, having signed him for £64 million, potentially rising to £85 million.
However, there was controversy at Anfield as Liverpool secured a 2-0 victory over Wolves in Klopp’s final match. Following the game, Klopp received a guard of honour to bid farewell to the fans, during which Nunez seemed not to applaud.
The Uruguayan forward did applaud other Liverpool staff and squad members who received guards of honour, including assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders, centre-back Joel Matip, and midfielder Thiago Alcantara.
This sparked speculation on social media that Nunez might hold a grudge against Klopp. The 24-year-old concluded his second season at Liverpool with 18 goals and 13 assists in 54 games but started only one of their last six Premier League matches.
During that period, he played only 166 out of a possible 540 minutes. However, in an interview with the Uruguayan outlet Polideportivo, Nunez stated: “We were all a little shocked by Klopp’s departure, no one expected it.
“It is a shame that he is leaving. I personally would like him to leave in a big way, winning things, and it didn’t happen that way. It’s also a shame for the players. I wish him the best in the world.”
Liverpool legend John Aldridge thinks the striker will be frustrated with how he finished the season, having only managed one goal and one assist in his final 11 Premier League matches.
“I know Darwin Nunez was seen not clapping Jurgen, but he’ll just be annoyed because he’s not been good for the last two months. He’s not been good enough, end of story,” Aldridge wrote in his column for the Liverpool Echo.
“He’s probably tried too hard at times. His finishing has let him down, it’s been poor, but it’s a new start. He’s not had a great season. He’s done some good things but he can be a lot better.”
Nunez explained last week why he deleted all the Liverpool-related posts from his official Instagram account earlier this month.
“From the moment you start playing and until you retire, there will always be someone who will criticise you,” he explained. “Before, I did look them a lot and it affected me.
“Whoever says that those negative comments do not affect them is lying, those negative comments that are directed towards you will always affect you. But now I ignore those comments because they are of no use to me.
“I’m not looking at anything, not even the good stuff. If a game goes badly for me, I rely on my family. What happened in the game is already there, it’s already happened.”
Arne Slot will take over as Liverpool manager, replacing Klopp, starting June 1. The Dutchman will be responsible for transforming Nunez into a prolific goalscorer, having previously guided Santiago Gimenez’s development at Feyenoord.
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