Klopp wants focus to return to football
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LONDON • The most positive thing about the attempt by 12 clubs to form the European Super League (ESL) is that "it did not happen", Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp yesterday said, while taking aim at Uefa for expanding the Champions League.
The ESL proposal collapsed on Wednesday amid an outpouring of criticism from fans, players, football governing bodies and government officials, with nine of the 12 teams, excluding Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid, pulling out.
Liverpool were one of six Premier League clubs to sign up for the league before withdrawing, and Klopp, who insisted neither he nor his players knew about the plan in advance, added that the focus must return to playing football.
"I know it's normal that people will say, 'How can we carry on?', but that doesn't get sorted in a week," the German said at his pre-match press conference ahead of his side's Premier League home game against Newcastle today.
"As a team, we have to be concentrated on the things we do such as football. That's what we do. I know the owners (Fenway Sports Group), I've known them six years. I know there are some moments when they might not have made the right decision, this time for sure, but it doesn't change things for me."
Klopp also reiterated his opposition to Uefa's decision to expand the Champions League to 36 teams from 2024, a decision announced this week.
"You can't just introduce always more competitions," he said. "It's very good the new Super League is off the table, but the new Champions League isn't great. Ten games rather than six and no idea where to put them in. The only people who never get asked are the coaches, the players and the supporters. Uefa didn't ask us, the Super League didn't ask us. It's just always, 'play more games'.
"The new Champions League, what's the reason for that? Money."
His reaction comes after Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan tweeted: "More and more and more games, is no one thinking about us players? The new UCL format is just the lesser of the two evils in comparison to the Super League."
The Reds have no further injury concerns other than long-term absentees Joel Matip, Jordan Henderson, Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, with Klopp confirming that Nat Phillips, Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota would be fit for Newcastle.
A win at Anfield today would allow his side to temporarily move ahead of Chelsea by a point into fourth place.
REUTERS
LIVERPOOL V NEWCASTLE
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