Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was unable to travel to Germany for his mother's funeral due travel restrictions in place due to Covid-19. Klopp's mother, Elisabeth, died at the age of 81, German media reports said on Tuesday.

"She meant everything to me, a mother in the real sense of the word," Klopp was quoted as saying in the local newspaper Schwarzwaelder Bote.

"She is now in a better place. Not being at the funeral is due to the terrible times we are in now. Once conditions allow it, we will hold a wonderful memorial service," he said.

Germany has introduced strict travel restrictions from countries such as the United Kingdom which have been hit by a new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus.

Liverpool's official Twitter handle offered condolences for Klopp, who led the club to their first Premier League title in three decades last season. "You'll Never Walk Alone, Jurgen," they said in their tweet accompanied by a photograph of Klopp and a heart.