‘He’s taking no chances!’ Klopp’s awkward ‘hover hand’ moment with Rapinoe at glitzy FIFA bash sets off social media
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and US women’s national team star Megan Rapinoe were among the big names to grace the glitzy FIFA Best Awards in Milan – where one photo of the pair particularly captured the internet’s imagination.
Champions League winner Klopp scooped the Best Men’s Coach award while World Cup winner Rapinoe picked up the Best Women’s Player accolade at the star-studded bash in Italy on Monday night.
The pair posed for a photo opportunity on the ‘green carpet’, where the tuxedoed German appeared to adopt the ‘hand hover’ technique made most famous by Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves.
"He's my new coach!" 🗣#MeganRapinoe and Jurgen Klopp meet on the green carpet 📸#TheBestAwardspic.twitter.com/NgWq1fC7rR
— Goal (@goal) September 23, 2019
The pose involves people – most typically men – avoiding coming into direct contact with others they are posing with by ‘hovering’ their hand over the person's back or shoulder without touching it.
Klopp’s own version of the move involved making a clenched fist behind Rapinoe’s back, in a gesture which was quickly picked up on by social media users.
— Eunan🔰 (@Eunan3101) September 23, 2019
“Klopp isn’t taking any chance of any form of accusation,” wrote one user, while anoter added: "Man is not giving room for any form of scandal.”
Klopp isn’t taking any chance of any form of accusation lmao
— Holycrabe (@Holycrabe) September 23, 2019
Man is not giving room for any form of scandal
— Olayinka Philip (@Esquire207) September 23, 2019
The snap also set the Reddit classes chattering, where one user wrote: “Ah yes, the Keanu Reeves hover hand technique!”
“Hover hand always a respectful technique!” another post read.
Man said: pic.twitter.com/FDbXh46EFw
— Hijack (@Hijack_13) September 23, 2019
Klopp and Rapinoe both used their acceptance speeches on Monday to promote social causes.
The Liverpool boss, 52, announced that he is a member of the ‘Common Goal’ scheme, which sees sports stars pledge 1 percent of their salary to charity.
Meaanwhile, social justice warrior Rapinoe, 34, made a typically highly-charged acceptance speech to call for more to be done against racism and homophobia.
Other winners on the night included Lionel Messi, who walked off with the Best Men’s Player Award – the sixth time he has won the accolade – ahead of Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk and Juventus ace Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese forward decided to snub the ceremony, instead sharing a picture of himself at home with a book.
