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Klopp laments timing of Club World Cup as Liverpool prepare for semi-final
DOHA, Dec 17, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool are fully
focused on winning this week’s Club World Cup ahead of their semi-final
against Monterrey of Mexico but hit out at the timing of the competition and
questioned FIFA’s plans to expand the tournament in future.
“We are here now and we are completely focused on it, but if you had asked
me beforehand if I think that there should be a Club World Cup in the middle
of our season, I would say no, in my honest opinion,” Klopp told journalists
at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, where Liverpool face Monterrey
on Wednesday.
The Anfield club have had to take time out from their seemingly relentless
march towards the Premier League title to travel to Qatar for the tournament,
in which they are Europe’s representatives thanks to their Champions League
triumph last season.
If Liverpool win against the Mexicans, they will advance to a final on
Saturday against either Flamengo of Brazil or Saudi side Al Hilal, while even
if they lose their semi-final they will remain in Qatar for a third-place
play-off at the weekend.
Their Premier League trip to West Ham United, scheduled for this weekend,
was postponed as a result, and they have been forced to play their League Cup
quarter-final at Aston Villa on Tuesday with a squad of academy players due
to the lack of alternatives in a packed schedule.
After the competition concludes, they will rush back home to prepare for a
trip to Leicester City — their closest title challengers — next Thursday,
on the Boxing Day holiday in the United Kingdom.
FIFA recently confirmed plans to expand the current seven-team Club World
Cup played in December to a 24-team competition which will start in China in
2021 and will be played in June and July — that means a clash with the next
Africa Cup of Nations, to be held at the same time.
– Focused on the football –
The existing format is particularly unloved in Europe, even if European
clubs have won the last six editions.
Klopp added: “Can it be an even bigger tournament in the future? I don’t
know. We have to make sure that we have great competitions, but not at the
same time, that’s all.
“I like now being here because we have a lot of fans in this part of the
world, they usually have to follow us at night time if they want to watch our
games so that’s nice that we can come closer from time to time.
“But everybody needs to think about it. If there is time for a tournament
which is nice, then you cannot have then another. You cannot just add on
tournaments, that doesn’t work.”
Meanwhile, Klopp sidestepped questions about Qatar’s human rights record,
a point raised amid concerns over treatment of immigrant workers and of the
stance on homosexuality in the country which will also host the 2022 World
Cup.
“I have an opinion about football and I have an opinion about that as well
but it is a really serious thing to talk about and I really think this should
be given by people who know more about that,” he said, trying to keep the
focus on football.
“Whatever I think about that it would not help the situation, it would
just create another headline — positive or negative, who cares.
“Other people need to think about these things. We are here to represent
Europe, to represent Liverpool first and foremost, that’s what we do. We are
invited, we qualified, and we go there.”
BSS/AFP/BZC/2045HRS