Klopp has previously spoken out against Super League; Speaking ahead of Liverpool vs Leeds, Klopp said: “My opinion didn’t change”; Neville: ‘Klopp has destroyed Liverpool’s owners’; Milner: “I can only give my personal opinion, I don’t like it and I hope it doesn’t happen.”
Jurgen Klopp has confirmed he remains opposed to a Super League despite Liverpool pledging to join a proposed breakaway league.
In 2019, Klopp was public in his criticism of Super League proposals, saying: “I hope this Super League will never happen. With the way the Champions League is now running, football has a great product, even with the Europa League.
“For me, the Champions League is the Super League, in which you do not always end up playing against the same teams.
“Of course, it’s economically important, but why should we create a system where Liverpool faces Real Madrid for 10 straight years? Who wants to see that every year?”
Reminded of those quotes by Sky Sports ahead of Liverpool game at Leeds, Klopp responded: “My opinion didn’t change. Obviously I heard for the first time about it yesterday, and trying to prepare a game, a very difficult game against Leeds, and I knew so far we got some information, not a lot to be honest
“It’s a tough one. People are not happy about it, and I can understand that, but I cannot say a lot more about it because we were not involved in any processes, not the players not me, we didn’t know about it. We will have to wait to see how it develops.”
Reflecting on Klopp’s remarks, Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville concluded: “Jurgen Klopp has come out tonight, and done it in a very calm fashion which he has to do from the position he is in, and he has destroyed his club’s owners on national television.”
Speaking after the match, Liverpool midfielder James Milner also stressed his opposition to the plans.
“I can only give my personal opinion, I don’t like it and hopefully it doesn’t happen,” he told Sky Sports.
“There are a lot of questions. We have tried to prepare for the game, so l can only imagine what has been said about it, but l would probably agree with most of it.”
Liverpool fans have reacted angrily to the news that their club could be involved in a European Super League, with banners outside Anfield reading: ‘LFC fans against European Super League’ and ‘Shame on You – RIP LFC – 1892-2021’.
“The most important part of football are the supporters and the team. And we have to make sure that nothing gets in-between that. I heard they put banners down at Anfield, and I don’t understand that because the players did not do anything wrong,” added Klopp.
Klopp on whether he understands the fans’ frustrations
“I understand it, but I am in a different position. I don’t have all the information, I don’t exactly know why the 12 clubs did it. I know some things will change in the future, in football some things have to change in the future, that’s for sure as well. The power, where the power is, and stuff like this, that’s not right.
“Everybody plans new competitions, UEFA showed me the new competition and I said ‘I don’t like it’ months ago, because of more games. I don’t expect they don’t do it just because I don’t like it. It’s always more games, more games. If you tell the clubs it’s about more money, what do you think it’s about with UEFA?
“The Club World Cup, whenever that should happen, it’s about money nothing else. So all these things happen.
“But usually you have to prepare these kind of things, but one thing I can understand that the people think is not right is the competitiveness. I get that, I said that before, I might not like that we will not be in the Champions League [next season if they don’t finish in top four], but if we earn it we want to be there like anybody else.”
Klopp on Leeds game and whether the Super League announcement had been a distraction…
“Not really. Yesterday, I didn’t really know. This morning I had a short meeting with the boys and told them the things I know, which is not a lot. We just tried to focus on the game which we will do.
“I heard already there are warm-up shirts over there. We will not wear them. If somebody thinks they need to remind us that we need to earn the right to go to the Champions League that is a real joke and it makes me angry.
“If they put it in our dressing room, if it was a Leeds idea, thank you very much. Nobody has to remind us, maybe they should remind themselves.”
Source :Skysports
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