Liverpool and United call on fans to stop ‘tragedy chanting’

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool and Manchester United have jointly called on fans to end “tragedy chanting” ahead of their Premier League match on Sunday at Anfield. The longtime rivals issued a statement from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and United counterpart Erik ten Hag calling for an end to chants and online abuse about tragedies such as Munich and Hillsborough. Ten Hag says “it’s unacceptable to use the loss of life … to score points.” Klopp says, “If we can keep the passion and lose the poison, it will be so much better.” Eight United players died in a 1958 Munich air disaster. Ninety-seven Liverpool supporters died from the crush at an overcrowded Hillsborough Stadium in 1989.