Jurgen Klopp has branded FIFA’s 32-team Club World Cup the ‘worst idea ever implemented in football,’ warning of unprecedented injury risks due to fixture congestion.
Jurgen Klopp called the Club World Cup "the worst idea ever implemented in football." 😳 pic.twitter.com/kLRrAKHHTH
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Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has strongly criticized FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup, calling it “the worst idea ever implemented in football,” citing mounting concerns over player welfare.
Now serving as Red Bull’s head of global soccer, Klopp’s remarks come shortly after Red Bull Salzburg, one of the conglomerate’s clubs, exited the newly expanded 32-team Club World Cup in the United States at the group stage. The tournament features 48 games, adding to an already packed football calendar.
In an interview with Welt am Sonntag, Klopp voiced alarm about the lack of rest afforded to top players due to the global football schedule.
“It’s all about the game and not the surrounding events – and that’s why the Club World Cup is the worst idea ever implemented in football in this regard,” Klopp said. “People who have never had or do not have anything to do with day-to-day business anymore are coming up with something.”
He continued: “There is insane money for participating, but it’s also not for every club… That means no real recovery for the players involved, neither physically nor mentally.”
Klopp warned of an imminent injury crisis, saying: “I have serious fears that players will suffer injuries they’ve never had before next season. If not next season, then it will happen at the World Cup or afterwards.”
“We have to make sure they have breaks,” he added. “If they don’t get them, they won’t be able to deliver top performances—and if they can’t achieve that anymore, the entire product loses value.”
FIFA sources responded by telling BBC Sport that player welfare has been a “core” concern, pointing to added substitution rules, concussion protocols, and player funds. Officials also denied that the Club World Cup worsens congestion, noting only two teams would play up to seven matches every four years, in a slot formerly occupied by the Confederations Cup.