Jurgen Klopp explains Liverpool’s decision process to play Club World Cup and Carabao Cup games in 24 hours
There is no indication as yet whether Klopp will be in the dugout for both games in December
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Your support makes all the difference.Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has attempted to explain the Reds’ fixture conundrum by pointing out the club must take their global standing into account.
After winning the Champions League last season, participation in the Club World Cup was expected – although confirmation of that didn’t come until well into this term.
Along with the Super Cup, which the Reds won, and the Community Shield, which they lost, it took the total number of competitions Liverpool compete in this campaign to seven.
With December traditionally being a busy month anyway, with Christmas Premier League fixtures and Champions League group stage games to complete, Klopp’s side’s progress in the Carabao Cup has led to an incredible fixture pileup which will soon see them play 11 games in 31 days.
Rather than delay the domestic cup quarter-final tie against Aston Villa, an agreement was reached to play it as planned on December 17, less than 24 hours before Liverpool play their Club World Cup semi-final in Qatar.
It means Klopp must split his squad, likely taking his seniors away and leaving behind what will effectively be an Academy side to face Villa in the Carabao Cup.
That doesn’t mean it has been deemed less significant, Klopp told Sky Sports, but rather that plans were already in place which won’t be changed.
“I’m not sure if we prioritise it, it’s about who was first,” he explained.
“We had to plan and had talks about the Club World Cup in Qatar for much longer. We had to make a decision and the boys wanted to play – it’s hopefully not a once in a lifetime chance but it doesn’t happen too often, you have to win the Champions League!
“After that we started playing the Carabao Cup.
“In England [the Club World Cup] is not that important, for the rest of the world they look at that. We are Liverpool, a worldwide brand, we cannot do what we want, we must do what our supporters want.
“We didn’t know if we’d go through [in the domestic competition]. Arsenal was a tough draw, we played it with a very young team and they did brilliant - now there’s an opportunity for them to play the next round.”
While the players will only be featuring in one competition or the other, Klopp says no decision has been taken yet on who will sit in the dugout at Villa Park.
“I didn’t think about that for one second. And I don’t have to, it’s in mid-December. We have [before] then I don’t know how many games, that’s what I worry about.
“We will find a proper solution for everybody but if I’m there or not, I don’t think more people or less will watch the game. I will not play for sure!“
Given the short time between the two fixtures, it seems probable that Klopp will head to Qatar with his senior squad, leaving the Villa game in the hands of another.
If assistant Pepijn Lijnders also heads to Qatar, the likely candidates are Academy manager Alex Inglethorpe or U23s boss Neil Critchley.
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