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Jürgen Klopp has been denied by Xherdan Shaqiri from Liverpool 's Champions League trip to Red Star Belgrade over security concerns and made sense to the situation at Rajko Mitic Stadium.
Kosovo-born Shaqiri was left behind when the Liverpool squad flew to Serbia on Monday with his manager seeking to avoid controversy around the tie.
Klopp admitted politics influenced his decision; the international Switzerland incensed Serbia after his 90th-minute winner against them at the World Cup. Shaqiri was fined 10,000 Swiss Francs by Fifa for celebrating by forming a double-headed eagle with his hands "as represented on the flag of Albania, who fought against Serbia in the Kosovo war" and sparked a complaint from Serbia FA for sporting in Kosovo flag on his boots.
Klopp's decision has been welcomed by Serbian media and Red Star officials who believe it has been defeated in a volatile volatile situation and the threat of Uefa sanctions.
Red Star's sporting director, Zvezdan Terzic, who was playing against the world, but Liverpool's manager insists there was nothing sinister behind his selection.
"I'm absolutely not aware of any security issues," Klopp said.
"The only thing I can say it was common sense. It was common sense to make decisions and not to force anything. We come here wanting to play football. We have to concentrate on football. We have to focus on football. That's what we want to do and that's why I made that decision. "
Shaqiri said after Liverpool's 4-0 defeat of Red Star at Anfield last month that he wanted to "handle it, no problem".
His reaction when told that would not be the case, Klopp said, was: "'Okay, boss'. That was the decision and the decision the discussion ended at that moment. "
The Liverpool manager was taken aback by the focus on Shaqiri's omission, something he thought would be avoided once his squad was announced.
"What does it mean to answer these questions," said Klopp, who asked the Serbian interpreter to ensure this answer about the political nature of his decision 100 per cent accurately.
"We need to cool the situation down. We are in Serbia, we respect that 100 percent. That's how the world is. Politics always has influence on life, on the life I live at least, and that's how it is.
"But we are not here for that, we are here to play football. We tried to make sure we can be focused on football. I expected it to be more of the English-speaking
Football story
"It could have been a story but we did not want to have a story besides a football story. That's why we decided what we decided. "
Klopp admits a priority for Liverpool in Belgrade "irrespective of the Shaqiri situation" will be known as the "Marakana" and renowned for its intimidating atmosphere.
Liverpool beat Red Star comfortably last month but the Serbian champions have not lost at home for over a year.
Defender Andy Robertson said: "At Anfield we scored at the right times and we're at 100 per cent. I think they're different when they're at home. I think they proved that against Napoli, getting the draw. They'll be hoping to use their advantage and hopefully we'll quieten the crowd. "
Naby Keïta has traveled to Liverpool with a hamstring injury. Jordan Henderson remains sidelined with the same problem but is expected to resume training.
Klopp vis-a-vis the game against Red Star and Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain but knows their opponents will be smarting against their heavy defeat at Anfield.
"It would help mbadively," he said.
"If we could win here it would give us a bit of control but only until the next game because everything is open again. Even if Paris loses, they can still get 10 points by winning the two games, and the last one is here. It's really important here, it's so difficult here, so different.
"I never played here but what I heard about it was a tough place, historically a tough place to go. They will try everything.
"It's a very proud club, losing 4-0 away, no supporters there, it's a little bit in their favor with what they can use for motivation. They will shout like they usually shout in two games. – Guardian
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