The former Liverpool manager described FIFA’s summer tournament as “worst idea ever implemented in football” and has once again refused to see the positive side
Jurgen Klopp has doubled down on his criticism of the Club World Cup by reiterating his belief that the tournament is putting players at greater risk of injury. The Club World Cup took place in the United States this summer, with Chelsea triumphing at the end of the expanded format.
The competition involved 32 teams and 48 games and often took place amid stifling heat, attracting plenty of concern. The issue of player burnout and fatigue was a constant theme in the background and Klopp was the loudest detractor, branding it the “worst idea ever implemented in football”.
The former Liverpool manager, who is now the global head of soccer for Red Bull, has always been vocal in his opinion that the football calendar is over-saturated. He is concerned about player welfare and believes the push towards more fixtures is based solely on greed.
His opinion saw some backlash, with ex-Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and Bulgarian football legend Hristo Stoichkov among those to push back. Meanwhile, Sky Sports News reporter Kaveh Solhekol went viral after passionately defending the Club World Cup and telling Klopp he doesn’t have to watch it.
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In an interview with The Athletic, Klopp has stuck to his guns. “Did I read this morning that Chelsea have an injury crisis? Maybe they would have had injuries (anyway),” he said.
“My expertise is I know how much you can expect from football players. I know about intensity in training. We always ask for more. We go, go, go. I don’t doubt it was a great tournament. I didn’t watch it. Chelsea were super happy to win it. Great, a lot of money. But at one point we have to take care of the few people this game would not exist without: the players.
“There’s no solution besides stopping organising new tournaments in the summer break. There’s no break anymore for the best players in the world. You wouldn’t do this in any other part of life. Imagine you put the best artist out every night until they fall down and then we say sorry, he lost focus…”
Klopp is backed up by the Professional Footballers Association, who have warned that players could go on strike if their worries about burnout are not taken seriously. It comes after a report by FIFPRO, the world players’ union, showed none of the teams at this summer’s Club World Cup had the recommended 28 days’ rest period.
As Liverpool manager, Klopp frequently made headlines for clashing with broadcasters for scheduling his side to play early kick-offs on Saturdays after European away days in mid-week. But Klopp is unlikely to ever have to deal with such problems directly, having stated he doesn’t see himself returning to club management.
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