Chants about Hillsborough and the Munich air disaster have disrupted matches between Liverpool and Manchester United in recent years and both clubs are desperate to stop them.
Manchester United and Liverpool have called for an end to the chanting of the tragedy that has damaged both clubs.
United boss Erik ten Hag and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp have issued a joint statement, calling for an end to the chanting of the roux, ahead of Sunday’s meeting between the two rival clubs at Anfield. Both bosses insisted that chanting and online abuse relating to tragic events such as Munich, Heysel and Hillsborough must stop and urged supporters to create a special atmosphere for the big clash.
Ten Hag said: “The rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool is one of the biggest in world football. We all love the excitement of the fans when our teams meet, but there are boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed.
‘It is unacceptable to use the loss of life – in relation to any tragedy – to score points, and it is time to stop. Those responsible have tarnished not only the reputation of our club, but also, most importantly, the reputation of themselves, of our fans and of our great cities.
‘On behalf of myself, our players and our staff, we ask our fans to focus on supporting the team on Sunday, and representing our club in the right way.
Klopp said: “One of the main reasons why the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United is so special is because it is so intense and nobody wants to change that. But at the same time when the competition gets too intense it can happen in places that’s not good for anyone and we don’t need that.
“We want noise, we want the opportunity to be partisan and we want the atmosphere to be electric. What we don’t want is anything that goes beyond this and this goes especially for the kind of chanting that has no place in football. the poison would be so much better for everyone.”
Together, Liverpool and Manchester United want to show the special and positive side of this incredible rivalry between two great football clubs with a proud, but sometimes tragic, history.