Jurgen Klopp has been criticised for his comments about the Club World Cup, with FIFA ambassador Hristo Stoichkov claiming the tournament should be treated with more respect
Jurgen Klopp wears a Liverpool cap and looks on
Jurgen Klopp hit out at the Club World Cup by calling it the "worst idea ever" in football
(Image: PA)
Bulgarian football legend Hristo Stoichkov has hit back at Jurgen Klopp's criticism of the FIFA Club World Cup, saying the former Liverpool manager “should show more respect” to the competition. The ex-Barcelona star and 1994 Ballon d'Or recipient, who is now a FIFA ambassador, defended the tournament, which is currently being played in the United States.
Last year marked a significant change for the tournament as the FIFA Council voted to expand the Club World Cup to 32 teams, cramming in 63 matches across a 28-day period. The previous format was a far smaller occasion, which involved just seven teams playing over 11 days at one location.
The decision to expand the competition was highly divisive, with several players and managers being vocal about its impact in unnecessarily adding to an already packed fixture schedule.
A main criticism is that players from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain will get an even shorter summer break, which increases the likelihood of fatigue and burnout. And one man who has not been afraid to make his strong feelings known is Klopp.
The German, 58, hit out at the revamped tournament during an interview with German publication Welt am Sonntag, saying: “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.”
The current Red Bull global chief of football's frank evaluation was echoed by Barcelona forward and Ballon d'Or hopeful Raphinha, even though his team did not make the cut for the competition.
Hristo Stoichkov former FC Barcelona player during the La Liga Santander match between FC Barcelona and Real Betis Balompie at Camp Nou Stadium on December 04, 2021 in Barcelona, Spain.
Hristo Stoichkov has responded to Klopp's criticism(Image: Xavier Bonilla/Getty Images)
The Brazilian said: "You have to go, no questions asked. We follow orders. But as a player, having to give up the only vacation period we get to play yet another tournament is very tough. Many who are playing in the Club World Cup won’t get any real break. That’s unacceptable.”
But Stoichkov says he is surprised by the negative response, defending the Club World Cup's addition to the football calendar and stating that it warrants more respect. He told Marca and El Mundo: “I didn’t expect this from Jurgen, I have a lot of respect for him. Maybe he feels sickened by Salzburg being knocked out of the competition, because he is a director of Red Bull.
“When Liverpool played [in the World Cup] nobody complained, when they received money nobody complained. I think we need to have more respect in these tournaments. I have already participated in it when there were only a few games, but I think Gianni [Infantino] and FIFA have done something different.
“We have brought together many cultures, new systems, new tactics and many different teams that didn’t know each other before participating in a tournament like this.”
Klopp has long been vocal about prioritising player well-being. During his nine seasons in charge of Liverpool, he regularly spoke out against the packed English football schedule and its toll on players' well-being.
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