Jürgen Klopp, the former manager of Liverpool, recently shared his thoughts on the ongoing contract sagas involving three of Liverpool's key players: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah, and Virgil van Dijk. All three players face the expiration of their contracts at the end of the season. Klopp's successor, Arne Slot, now shoulders the responsibility of addressing inquiries about their futures during press conferences. In a light-hearted manner, Klopp expressed relief at not having to tackle these questions himself.
"I'm so happy I'm not in charge with that situation and having to answer those questions every week," remarked Klopp, highlighting his contentment with being spared from the weekly scrutiny.
Despite his distance from the management role, Klopp still harbors hopes for Mohamed Salah's continued presence at Liverpool. He regards Salah as the club's greatest striker of the modern era. While Klopp refrains from delving into contract intricacies, his admiration for Salah's contributions remains evident.
Furthermore, Klopp touched on the ongoing hearing regarding Manchester City's alleged financial breaches, which commenced in September last year. He admitted to not closely following the proceedings and remains unaware of when a verdict might emerge. However, Klopp humorously entertained the idea of hosting a celebration should Manchester City be stripped of their titles.
"Just book a flight to Mallorca. I will buy the beer!" he quipped, alluding to his infrequent visits to the island due to his hectic schedule.
In addition to his reflections on Liverpool and Manchester City, Klopp offered a potential future scenario for Virgil van Dijk. He envisioned van Dijk playing for New York when reaching 41-44 years old. This playful suggestion underscores Klopp's appreciation for van Dijk's enduring talent and versatility.
Klopp, who currently serves as the head of global soccer at Red Bull, also emphasized his stance on the demanding football calendar.
"I think it's useless. It doesn't help if you have no summer break," he stated, underlining concerns over player welfare.
"Who wins the tournament is the poorest winner of all time because he has to play the whole summer through and then the league starts again."
He advocates for reducing the number of games to alleviate players' workloads.
"We have to reduce the amount of games. That means in some leagues it would be better [if] you have 18 instead of 20. That means in other competitions, you don't add games."
Leave a Reply