In a quarrel with UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has once again pointed to the ever-growing burden on top footballers. “There’s only one direction this is going, and that’s against the wall,” Klopp said in a “kicker” interview (Monday). There is no one who really speaks for the players.
When he addresses the lack of breaks for the players, “Aleksander Ceferin comes out of the corner and makes a polemical statement that other people have to work a lot more. I know that, Mr. Ceferin doesn’t have to tell me that,” said Klopp. Underpaid “factory workers” have a right to complain, said the UEFA boss.
“I cleaned screws and I don’t know what else I did.” He knows what work means. “I don’t want to offend anyone, I just want to point out again that this game doesn’t work without the players and is only really nice when the best are on the field,” said the 55-year-old Liverpool coach. But the top stars shouldn’t have to be on the pitch every three days because then there’s no more time for training.
The various leagues and associations would not think of the players. There are “too many different stakeholders. Everyone draws, no one thinks about the players. Not one. Really not.” “A reasonable solution must be found. It is not about constantly inventing new competitions and extending them.”
“Now we are making the World Cup bigger so that other teams can also take part. We’re also making the EM bigger, amazing,” said Klopp. The former Bundesliga coach accepts headwind for his criticism. “If in the end I’m the only one who says something, then so be it. I don’t care. I can’t be everyone’s friend,” said Klopp. He was “well aware,” Klopp continued, “that I make an extremely good living from the whole story. I have enough vacation. The players don’t have it. We have to change that at some point.”
Klopp also praised the “You’ll never walk alone” quote from Chancellor Olaf Scholz. “The feeling that comes from saying that is far too good for us to keep just for Liverpool,” he said. Prime Minister Scholz had used the title of the song by “Gerry and the Pacemakers”, which is part of Liverpool’s cultural heritage, in connection with an impending energy crisis in Germany.
He understands “why Olaf Scholz said it,” said the 55-year-old: “It’s a very difficult time. He could also have said we won’t let you down when push comes to shove, ideally before then. That’s why it was right.”
Klopp is not mad at Sadio Mané
Klopp, on the other hand, has less understanding for the financial behavior of FC Barcelona, which despite tight budgets keeps spending millions on new players. Although he is not a financial expert, said the Liverpool coach, but: “If you tell me I have no money, then I don’t spend anything anymore. My credit card has already been cut up twice, fortunately that was a few years ago.” Klopp sees the German record champions Bayern Munich as an alternative to the Catalans: “It is not the case in all leagues that there is what was agreed. “
Klopp is not mad at Sadio Mané for his move to Bayern. The coach even praised the top attacker for his early openness about his intentions. “If it were always like that, it would just be cool,” said the 55-year-old. He would have “very much liked to have kept” the striker, whose contract with Liverpool FC was actually valid until mid-2023. But Mané wanted to do something else. “It’s a free world, you should make decisions this way: announce them in good time,” said Klopp.
“Bavaria world class and rock solid”
Mané (30) has signed a three-year contract with Munich. According to reports, Bayern will pay up to 41 million for the Senegalese to Liverpool. “The Sadio story is a special one, but it should also be normal,” said Klopp about the honest attitude of the goalscorer.
Klopp is not surprised that players like Mathijs de Ligt and Ryan Gravenberch are also drawn to Bayern. “From a German perspective, you shouldn’t make the mistake of underestimating FC Bayern’s appeal,” explained the cult coach. In Munich it is very likely to become a champion. In addition, the city is “beautiful” and the club gives the players security. “Bayern is world class and rock solid, that’s why they are one of the most successful clubs in the world,” said Klopp.
