LONDON, England, June 28, 2025 – Former Liverpool supervisor Jurgen Klopp believes the Club World Cup is “the worst concept ever applied in soccer” due to “severe fears” over participant welfare.
The German is now Red Bull’s head of world soccer and one among their groups, Red Bull Salzburg, certified for this summer season’s match within the United States.
Klopp has usually complained about gamers’ workload and fixture congestion, and days earlier than the Club World Cup, international gamers’ union Fifpro released a report saying gamers must be allowed not less than a four-week low season break.
This yr’s Club World Cup is the primary to characteristic 32 groups and 48 video games, and noticed Salzburg knocked out within the group stage.
During an unique interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, Klopp talked in regards to the expanded format and participant growth.
“It’s all in regards to the recreation and never the encompassing occasions – and that’s why the Club World Cup is the worst concept ever applied in soccer on this regard,” he mentioned.
“People who’ve by no means had or don’t have something to do with day-to-day enterprise anymore are developing with one thing.
“There is insane cash for collaborating, nevertheless it’s additionally not for each membership.
“Last yr it was the Copa [America] and the European Championship, this yr it’s the Club World Cup, and subsequent yr the World Cup. That means no actual restoration for the gamers concerned, neither bodily nor mentally.”
In September, per week previous to struggling an ACL harm, Manchester City midfielder Rodri said players were close to going on strike due to the rise in video games, whereas team-mate Manuel Akanji urged he must retire aged 30 on account of the dearth of breaks within the calendar.
In October, Fifpro filed a authorized grievance with the European Commission over what it mentioned was Fifa’s “abuse of dominance”, particularly associated to the Club World Cup, and Fifpro representatives met with Fifa over the fixture calendar in January.
Klopp added: “I’ve severe fears, that gamers will endure accidents they’ve by no means had earlier than subsequent season. If not subsequent season, then it is going to occur on the World Cup or afterwards.
“We continuously anticipate the gamers to enter each recreation as if it had been their final. We inform them that 70 or 75 occasions a yr. But it could actually’t go on like this.
“We have to ensure they’ve breaks, as a result of in the event that they don’t get them, they received’t be capable of ship high performances – and if they will’t obtain that anymore, your entire product loses worth.”
Club World Cup organiser Fifa has been approached for remark.
Senior Fifa sources told BBC Sport earlier this month the safety of participant welfare has been on the core of decision-making, pointing to initiatives akin to a fund for gamers, extra substitutes in competitions and everlasting concussion substitutes.
Suggestions the competitors has contributed to additional congestion within the fixture calendar had been firmly dismissed, with a supply saying it was “not attributable to the Club World Cup”.
Wirtz charge ‘insane’ however he can ‘give one thing nice’
Klopp ended his nine-year spell as Liverpool boss final summer season earlier than his successor, Arne Slot, received the Premier League title in his first season in cost.
The Reds have since spent huge on recruitment, signing Germany midfielder Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in a club-record £116m deal.
“There’s no query about it, that’s an insane sum,” mentioned Klopp. “We all agree that we’re speaking about an awesome participant right here.
“I do know I as soon as mentioned that I’m out if we pay 100m euros for a player., external But the world retains altering. That is how the market is.
“My a part of soccer will all the time stay the sport itself, however if you wish to play on the high degree, you’ll be able to’t practice all of your gamers your self. Sometimes you must get maintain [of players from] some place else.”
Asked if Wirtz, 22, will set up himself at Anfield, Klopp added: “Yes, though after all I don’t know precisely which place Arne has in thoughts for Florian.
“He’s an excellent participant who may give any membership one thing nice. Whether he’ll make the reigning English champions even higher stays to be seen.”
Could Klopp return to teaching?
Klopp started main Red Bull’s international soccer technique in January, when he mentioned he will not coach one of their teams.
The 58-year-old stays adamant he is not going to return to teaching, even on a short lived foundation, akin to when German membership RB Leipzig sacked Marco Rose in March. Ole Werner was named his successor final week.
“My intestine feeling tells me: ‘No’,” mentioned Klopp. “I cherished my job, however I don’t miss something.
“It’s about my function at Red Bull, the place I’m not the sword of Damocles hanging over our coaches, true to the motto: I’ll inform you the way it’s executed, and when you don’t perceive, I’ll do it myself.
“That won’t ever occur. Red Bull didn’t deliver me in as a possible coach. I’m purported to cross on the expertise I’ve gained as a head coach and supervisor, and assist youthful colleagues develop.”
