Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he will throw a party in Mallorca if the Premier League strips Manchester City of the title for breaching financial regulations.
Editor’s picks
2 Related
Klopp’s Liverpool finished second behind Josep Guardiola and his all-conquering City team. The first time was in the 2018-19 season, and the second time was in the 2021-22 season.
The Premier League referred City to an independent commission in February 2023 over 115 alleged breaches of financial rules between 2009 and 2018. The club has always denied any wrongdoing.
In his first public appearance as Red Bull’s head of world football, Klopp was asked how he would react if the committee found City guilty and removed the league title from its honors list. .
“When I left, we had this discussion,” Klopp said. “I’ve never spent a lot of time in Mallorca because I’m always flying around, but if it were to happen, I would say to all the people who wanted to come, ‘I’m going to Mallorca. Book a flight and I’ll buy it!’ We were going to have our own parade in my garden.”
The German coach added that he had not followed the details of the trial, which began last September, and did not know when a verdict would be reached.
Klopp was also asked about the ongoing contract turmoil surrounding three of Liverpool’s key players during his tenure.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are all out of contract at the end of the season, and Klopp’s successor Arne Slott was frequently asked about the trio’s future in press conferences. Ta.
“I’m very happy that I’m not responsible for that situation and that I have to answer questions like that every week,” Klopp joked.
“I want all three of them to extend their contracts. They won’t tell me what’s going on. When Virgil gets from 41 to 44, I’m sure he wants to play in New York. You’re probably thinking…I’ll welcome him with open arms. ”
Manager Klopp told a press conference that he hoped Salah would remain at the club, naming him the best Liverpool striker of modern times, and spoke passionately about this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.
“I think it’s a waste. It doesn’t matter if we don’t have summer vacation,” he said.
“The player who wins the tournament is the poorest winner in history because he has to play all summer and then the league has to restart. There are many.
“We have to reduce the number of games. That means in some leagues it is better to have 18 games instead of 20. In other competitions it means not adding more games.”
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.