Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp hits out at Uefa over Nations League and Europa League planning

In charge: Jurgen Klopp
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David Lynch10 May 2019

Jurgen Klopp launched a surprising two-pronged attack on Uefa on Friday morning, criticising the scheduling of next month’s Nations League finals and the choice of host city for the Europa League final.

The mood around Liverpool could not be better heading into a final-weekend clash with Wolves that could see them crowned Premier League champions following a shock Champions League semi-final comeback against Barcelona.

But Klopp used his press conference previewing Sunday’s game to take aim at European football’s governing body, who he believes are taking risks with players’ welfare this summer.

A four-team mini-tournament to decide the winner of the Nations League is set to take place just five days after the Champions League final and, with a number of his players in line to feature, the Reds boss is unhappy.

He said: “This year was, again, a very intense year, and will be again an intense year.

“June 1 we play a Champions League final and on June 6 there’s a wonderful tournament which is called Nations League.

“Everybody looked at me when I said it was not such a good idea and now: whoops, surprise, two teams are in the Champions League final and they are English. If there would be a Dutch team it would not be better, only for another country the problem.

“If we don’t learn to deal with our players in a better way competition-wise, it’s the only chance to kill this wonderful game. Without the players, it’s not a good one. Now, other people have to deal with that, it’s not Gareth [Southgate]’s fault, obviously.

“But planning something like this and being surprised that two top teams are in the Champions League final and a lot of players of these teams are involved in the Nations League, that’s interesting planning.

“If we would plan like this we would be completely surprised every weekend that there’s a Premier League game. Thank God we are not.”

Klopp also lashed out over the selection of Baku as the host city for the Europa League final meeting between Chelsea and Arsenal, comparing the difficulty of getting to the Azerbaijani capital with those faced by Liverpool supporters heading to Kiev last term.

He added: “I think with Madrid it’s expensive but at least it’s not another part of the world. Going to Baku for a Europa League final, that’s really funny.

“These guys who make the decisions, I don’t know what they have for breakfast when they do it.

“Last year we go to Kiev, which is a wonderful city, but that a Russian team or a team from that part of the world will be involved is not really likely.

“Then we go there and everyone has to be prepared; Madrid has to be prepared for I don’t know 200,000 English fans. They know before that it could happen. If Ajax would be in there would be a few more Dutch, you can imagine that.

“But Baku, I have no idea how to go there, if there are any regular flights. These decisions, they must be much more sensible, much more reasonable - it looks irresponsible.”

And on the subject of the rip-off prices Reds fans face in Madrid, he added: “I don’t know how they do it. In the cities, they [should] have to agree to a price cut, that it will not be more than this in a specific category.

“I heard that a room that you can usually get for £100 is now £2,700 - it’s just crazy. What can I say? I sympathise a lot with that.”

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