Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has criticised the media over his Nou Camp comments this week.

Ahead of their Champions League semifinal at Barcelona, Klopp has been criticised by the Spanish press for using one of his pre-match interviews to declare the Nou Camp is not 'a temple of football'.

But the German insisted his comments had been twisted, and explained that he was simply expressing hope that his players are not overawed by the venue or the high stakes.

He said: “This is such a poor game. Journalists, eh? You give 500,000 interviews before a game and they put the word out that you have said something? It's an easy game, and you try to make a big thing.

“I am a football fan, what could I say that is bad about this stadium? But it is still a stadium where want to play football, good football, the best football we can play. And that is allowed. That's what we will try.

“We play in stadiums like this. We were together a few years ago when Barcelona played against Gladbach. It was impressive. Of course we know in this part of the world, it is very emotional. And the better we are, the more emotional it will be. It should be like that."