Theresa May tried to channel Jurgen Klopp on Wednesday when she said the Conservative Party could make a comeback on Brexit – just like Liverpool had against Barcelona on Tuesday night.
What the prime minister might have forgotten is that the Liverpool manager has said Brexit “makes no sense” and has backed a second referendum.
Speaking during PMQs, Jeremy Corbyn hailed the “amazing performance” at Anfield in the Champions League that saw Klopp’s team stage an epic fightback to make it to the final.
“Perhaps the prime minister could take some tips from Jurgen Klopp on how to get a good result in Europe,” the Arsenal-supporting Labour leader said.
May told him: “I actually think that when we look at the Liverpool win over Barcelona last night, what it shows is that when everyone says it’s all over, that your European opposition have got you beat, the clock is ticking down, it’s time to concede defeat, actually we can still secure success if everyone comes together.”
Liverpool won 4-0 last night in the semi-final return leg last night, overturning a 3-0 deficit.
Jordan Henderson, Liverpool’s captain, said Klopp’s half-time team talk helped the side to victory. “I think the players could see that the manager believed, which helped us believe in what he said,” he said.
May meanwhile is under intense pressure from her party to resign sooner rather than later. One Tory MP, Andrea Jenykns, told her to her face today she had “failed” and it was time to “step aside”.
In an interview with The Guardian in April 2018, Klopp said UK should “think about it again and let’s vote again with the right information”.
“The EU is not perfect but it was the best idea we had. History has always shown that when we stay together we can sort out problems,” he said.
“When we split then we start fighting. There was not one time in history where division creates success. So, for me, Brexit still makes no sense.”
The PM’s potential successors are already jostling for position, with Andrea Leadsom today declaring she was “seriously considering” running for leader.