This archive report was first published on 17 December 2019.
Published on December 17, 2019, by AFP.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has expressed his concerns about the timing of the Club World Cup, which is currently underway in Qatar. The Reds are set to face Monterrey of Mexico in the semi-finals on Wednesday, but Klopp believes the competition should not have been scheduled during the middle of the Premier League season.
"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.
The Anfield club has had to take time out from their Premier League title bid to travel to Qatar for the tournament, which is being held in December. If Liverpool win against Monterrey, they will advance to a final on Saturday against either Flamengo of Brazil or Saudi side Al Hilal.
Klopp also questioned Fifa's plans to expand the Club World Cup to a 24-team competition, which is set to start in China in 2021 and will be played in June and July. The existing format is particularly unloved in Europe, even if European clubs have won the last six editions.
"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," Klopp added.
