Liverpool are among the 12 breakaway European Super League teams but coach Jurgen Klopp previously said he ‘hopes a Super League will never happen.’
Liverpool are among the 12 breakaway European Super League teams but coach Jurgen Klopp previously said he ‘hopes a Super League will never happen.’
The Premier League champions joined Serie A trio Juventus, Milan and Inter in announcing a planned European Super League, to start in August, on Sunday evening. They will be joined by five other English clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, who on Monday sacked Jose Mourinho – and three representatives from Spain: Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Klopp, speaking to German publication Kicker in 2019, spoke against the idea of a European Super League, recognising the potential for the clubs to make money from it but questioning its worth from the competitive aspect.
“I hope this Super League will never happen,” Klopp said, according to the Liverpool Echo.
“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 is [financially] important, but why should we create a system where Liverpool faces Real Madrid for 10 straight years? Who wants to see that every year?”
LaLiga have released a strongly worded statement opposing the Super League, dismissing it as ‘selfish and egotistical,’ while UEFA have said any clubs involved will be banned from European competitions, including international fixtures, and players could be prohibited from competing for their countries. FIFA, meanwhile, have appealed for calm while the Super League have begun legal proceedings to prevent sanctions from FIFA or UEFA.
Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, from Klopp’s native Germany, reportedly declined to be involved in the breakaway, as did Paris Saint-Germain. Juventus, meanwhile, agreed to join the Super League but the statement released on their official website said they ‘cannot guarantee’ it takes place.