Klopp Blasts Expanded Club World Cup, Warns of Injury Crisis

Klopp Slams Expanded Club World Cup as "Football's Worst Idea"

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has strongly criticized the revamped Club World Cup format, branding it the "worst idea ever" to be implemented in the sport.

In an interview with German newspaper Die Welt, Klopp expressed concerns that the tournament would further burden players with an already congested schedule.

The expanded Club World Cup will feature 32 teams and be held every four years during the preseason, specifically during the summers between major international competitions.

"It's a pointless competition," Klopp stated. "Whoever wins it will be the worst winner of all time because they'll have played all summer and then gone straight back into the league."

He added, "There are people who have never been involved in the day-to-day business of football and are now coming up with ideas."

Klopp emphasized the diminishing rest periods for players, cautioning that introducing another tournament poses a significant threat to their well-being.

"It's too many games. I fear that next season we will see injuries like never before. If not then, they'll come during or after the Club World Cup," the German manager warned.

"There's no real recovery for those involved, neither physically nor mentally."

Klopp, who concluded his successful nine-year tenure with Liverpool in 2024, now serves as the head of global soccer for Red Bull, which owns several clubs, including RB Leipzig and New York Red Bulls.

When asked about a potential return to coaching, Klopp responded: "I don't want that anymore. I have a job now that fulfils me and is also intense. I don't sleep in the morning and I don't go to bed later at night, but I can organise my work much better," he said.