When celebrations go bad: Liverpool’s Klopp pulls hamstring

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will no doubt be feeling his age in the aftermath of his side’s tempestuous 4-3 victory over Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday after suffering an injury amid the late chaos that unfolded at Anfield.

After Liverpool went 3-0 up inside 15 minutes, it looked like the match was heading for a 3-3 draw when Richarlison scored an equaliser in the 93rd minute with his first league goal for Spurs. However, the home side still found time to dig out a last-gasp victory just 99 seconds later when Diogo Jota pinched all three points with a winner after a mistake from Lucas Moura.

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The goal sparked wild celebrations on the Liverpool bench with the 55-year-old Klopp, who had felt aggrieved by decisions from the officials all game, bounding along the touchline to confront fourth official John Brooks. However, the German pulled up mid-bellow before gingerly rubbing the back of his thigh while hobbling back to his technical area.

Just to rub it in further, Klopp was then booked for his aggressive gesticulations by referee Paul Tierney.

Jurgen Klopp really pulled a hammy while celebrating in front of the fourth official pic.twitter.com/fyTGa0whOk

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 30, 2023

Klopp later confirmed he had suffered a hamstring injury and added in his post-match interview that his celebration in the face of the fourth official was “unnecessary.” Though he did accuse Tierney of having an agenda against his side.

Klopp’s injury isn’t the first time that a manager has hurt themselves on the touchline. Incredibly, the exact same fate befell Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray the previous day as the 59-year-old pulled a hamstring while celebrating his side’s dramatic late equaliser against Watford.

“I’ve never had a hamstring injury in 18 years of playing because I was never fast enough, and yet when that goal goes in I’ve obviously moved a bit quickly,” Mowbray explained sheepishly after the match.

Back in 2017, then-Valencia manager Marcelino twanged his hamstring while celebrating a late winner against Real Sociedad.

“As long as it’s only me getting injured, it’s not a problem if it’s the coach,” Marcelino joked in an interview with AS. “I pulled it quite hard. I’m getting on a bit, after all!”

RB Leipzig boss Ralf Ragnick also pulled a hamstring while being chased by his own player during promotion celebrations in 2016.

Rangnick was being pursued by striker Davie Selke, who was attempting to pour a giant stein of beer over his coach in traditional celebratory style, when the sudden muscle injury struck leaving the former wincing on the turf as copious amounts of pilsner were tipped all over him.

Managers aren’t the only ones on the sidelines who can fall foul of injury though. Gary Lewin suffered the most ironic of injuries while working as head physio for the England national team at the 2014 World Cup.

While leaping out of his seat to celebrate Daniel Sturridge’s equaliser against Italy in the group stage, Lewin landed awkwardly on a rogue water bottle, dislocated his ankle and was forced to leave the pitch on a stretcher.

.@england physio Gary Lewin suffers dislocated ankle while celebrating Sturridge equaliser. http://t.co/7MejzGqLKa pic.twitter.com/OrwaIe0Vuq

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 15, 2014

Several Premier League players have also succumbed to injuries while celebrating goals, with backflip aficionados Tresor Lomana LuaLua and Celestine Babayaro both doing themselves harm while somersaulting.

After scoring a header for Portsmouth in a 1-1 draw against Arsenal in 2006, LuaLua rolled his ankle on the landing but proceeded to take off in celebration despite the fact he had promised not to do his trademark flip until his team were safe from relegation. “He still did his triple somersault with pike without realising he’d hurt himself,” said his manager, Harry Redknapp, afterwards. “He’s a one-off.” To make things worse, the striker was making his first appearance for Pompey after a long injury layoff and didn’t play again that season, but they did stay up in the end.

#playuppompey https://t.co/SPz4qJ3ciQ

— Lomana LuaLua (@LuaLuaOfficiale) April 13, 2020

During a pre-season friendly against Stevenage, Chelsea defender Babayaro broke his leg while celebrating a goal in gymnastic fashion. The Nigerian had only just signed for the club for £2.25m from Anderlecht that summer and had to wait to make his debut several months later in a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup tie against Slovan Bratislava.

Less acrobatically, Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira was forced to miss a section of the 1997-98 season when he scored against Manchester United and decided to celebrate with a knee slide. The Frenchman damaged a ligament, had to be substituted at half-time and sat out the next five weeks of action, though the Gunners still won the Double that season.

And finally, Leeds United‘s Patrick Bamford came back from a nine-game absence with an ankle injury to net a 95th minute equaliser in the 2-2 draw against Brentford in December 2021. The striker had only been on the pitch for 22 minutes but suffered a hamstring injury in the celebration of his late goal and went straight back to the treatment room.