Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has revealed that the Club World Cup is “the most important competition in the world at the moment”, despite the German’s concession he does not believe the tournament should be taking place in the middle of the European season of a festive period.
The European champions face Monterrey in the semi-final of the World Club Cup competition on Wednesday, with the schedule of the tournament leading them to field an inexperienced squad for Tuesday’s EFL Cup clash against Aston Villa only 24 hours before the game.
A recent article in British newspaper suggested that Liverpool had their priorities in the wrong order and that the League Cup should be given precedence over a competition the Reds are already favorites for in Qatar.
But when Klopp was asked in a media conference whether there is a lack of respect for the Club World Cup in England, the 52-year-old explained that the tournament should not be held at this particular moment, “I’m not sure, I don’t know about respect in England. We are here now, we are completely focused on that. If you asked me beforehand if you think there should be a Club World Cup in the middle of our season I would say no, that’s my honest opinion. We speak about that constantly. The importance is easy, we are here so it’s the most important competition in the world for us at this moment.”
Liverpool is currently leading the Premier League table with 16 wins out of 17 games and is yet to taste defeat in England’s top flight. A first Premier League title looks to be heading to Anfield for the first time in 30 years but there is a chance to win more silverware as well.
