Klopp sends Sakho home from pre-season for breaking team rules

Author: Chris Burns, Senior Sports Writer Source: Sport | Mirror Online

Liverpool's current pre-season tour of the USA is underway. However, one of the club's previous trips Stateside was marred by a falling out between former manager Jurgen Klopp and ex-defender Mamadou Sakho, which was partly caught on camera.

Sakho, 36, officially retired from football earlier this year after being without a club since May 2025. The French defender was brought to Liverpool by ex-manager Brendan Rodgers in September 2013 in a bid to toughen up the club's backline, arriving from Paris Saint-Germain for £18 million.

After taking over in October 2015, the following summer marked Klopp's first pre-season with the Reds. The German was clearly unafraid to make his presence felt among those in the squad who treated strict rules as merely guidance, as Sakho was sent home prematurely from the club's American tour.

The incident caught on camera

The grievance came to light after Sakho was handed a GoPro camera as the Liverpool squad visited Alcatraz prison in San Francisco. As Klopp was being interviewed by club staff, Sakho snuck up and laughed in the background, and the German let slip that Sakho had violated a club rule on lateness.

"We could have left Mama Sakho here because he is filming me while I give the interview here," Klopp said.

Sakho interjected: "I have just one question. How long do you think you can live here?"

"Actually, I don't have to think about it. You should think about it," Klopp said back. "Because only one of us came late last night, for departure in Liverpool. It was not me."

Klopp's explanation

Speaking after Sakho was sent home from the USA, Klopp explained:

"I thought maybe it made sense for him to fly home to Liverpool and after eight or 10 days, when we come back, we can talk about it. It's not that serious.

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"He nearly missed the departure of the plane, he missed a session and was late for a meal. We have some rules and we have to respect them. If somebody doesn't respect it or somebody gives me the feeling he is not respecting it, then I have to react, that's all.

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"It is private how he reacted. But we had no argument. You cannot argue when only one person is speaking. That's all. I think missed a session is missed a session. Even injured players have sessions."

Sakho's response

Speaking in France later, Sakho admitted his penchant for tardiness to Canal Football Club, saying:

"It is true that I turned up late. There was a rule that I should have observed. I do not at all see myself as above the rules, I respect everyone.

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"I paid my fine, I was sanctioned, I apologised to my team-mates and my manager. Aside from that… I do not want to go into the controversies."

Sakho's Liverpool career

Sakho's debut campaign nearly delivered the Reds their first Premier League title in almost 25 years. Yet he featured in just 18 Premier League games as Liverpool's backline leaked 50 goals, ultimately costing them the championship. While he impressed in Klopp's early days, his career never fully got off the ground at the Reds.

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