Jurgen Klopp scolded by Sky Sports reporter for bold Club World Cup statement

Jurgen Klopp is not a fan of the Club World Cup

Jurgen Klopp has been savaged by a Sky Sports reporter for his scathing criticism of the Club World Cup. The Liverpool icon claimed that the expanded FIFA tournament is football’s ‘worst idea’ and warned that it will negatively impact player welfare. Sky’s Kaveh Solhekol has now hit back at Klopp, who is now head of global soccer at Red Bull after nine trophy-laden years at Anfield. The journalist reminded the German that RB Salzburg, part of Red Bull’s stable of teams, played at the Club World Cup and made tens of millions. Solhekol argued that football is now a business and that Klopp does not need to watch this summer’s tournament. He suggested that the 58-year-old could instead play padel, a sport Klopp is known to love, watch Netflix, or go out for a walk or a meal. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

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In a passionate rant, Solhekol said: “Not everyone agrees with Jurgen Klopp. The other thing I would say to Jurgen Klopp is: If you don’t like the Club World Cup, don’t watch it. “Everybody can do what they want. You can play padel, you can go for a swim. You can watch something else on TV, maybe watch Netflix. Go for a walk, go for a nice meal. “If you don’t want to watch Chelsea vs Benfica, don’t watch it. It’s a free world. The Chelsea owners are delighted that they’re here, and they’re delighted that they’re making a lot of money. Just by reaching this stage of the competition, they’ve probably made something like £40m. In this era of PSR and FFP where revenue is so important, they are embracing this tournament. “Manchester City are happy to be here as well. Pep Guardiola seems to be a completely different man from the stressed, intense figure we see during the Premier League.

Jurgen Klopp won the Premier League and Champions League as Liverpool boss

“Jurgen Klopp is a very senior figure at Red Bull. Does he have a problem with RB Salzburg playing in this competition? RB Salzburg ended up making £20-£40m from turning up and playing here in the group stages. Let’s get real, what would these clubs be doing if they weren’t playing here? When their players came back from holiday, they’d be coming to America and the far east on pre-season tours. “Unfortunately, football is not just a sport anymore. Whether you like it or not, football is a business. If you don’t like it, don’t watch it.” It comes after Klopp told a conference in Germany: “The Club World Cup is the worst idea ever implemented in football. People who have never had anything to do with day-to-day business are coming up with ideas. I fear that next season players will suffer injuries they've never had before. If not, then it'll happen at the World Cup or afterwards.” Chelsea defeated Benfica 4-1 in extra-time to progress to the quarter-final. Manchester City face Al-Hilal in the last-16 on Tuesday.

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