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The former Liverpool player has finally been exonerated by WADA,
and the current Liverpool boss weighed in.
Earlier in the week, former Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho won a libel suit against WADA, concerning his 2016
doping case. The case cost Sakho dearly. He missed the Europa
League final, and missed playing in the 2016 Euros, hosted by his
nation, France, no less. It was also the beginning of the end for
his Liverpool career, although there were other factors than the
doping allegations.
Regardless of the publicly tense relationship between Sakho and
Klopp, the Liverpool manager is happy for his former player.
“My initial thought was ‘finally!’” the Liverpool boss said. “We
knew for a long time already that Mama did nothing wrong. It was a
massive blow. I’m really happy that he got at least now the
evidence that he did nothing wrong.
“Doping is a problem, yes. But I never really saw it as a
problem in football because I’m 30 years in it and never was in
contact with any kind of it.
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“And if there is, it’s because somebody made a silly decision,
not because they wanted to improve his recovery time or
whatever.
“If you carry around the mark that you did doping, especially
when you didn’t do it, that’s massive. So I’m really happy he’s
freed of all of these things.”
These are nice words from Klopp, especially considering the way
Sakho was shown the door quickly after the boss’s arrival to the
club. It was necessary for Klopp to build team that he desired, but
clearly he doesn’t wish harm on the player.
Despite the missed opportunities for Sakho, it seems like he’s
ended up in a good situation at Crystal Palace, and it’s nice that he finally got some
official recognition for what happened to him.