Jurgen Klopp responds as Liverpool’s stance on European Super League plans revealed

The Liverpool boss has been an outspoken opponent of the Super League for years and reacted to this week’s landmark ruling in the European Court of Justice

Jurgen Klopp said he welcomed Liverpool’s stance that they will not sign up for a European Super League and want to play in the Champions League instead.

But he also revealed he liked the European Union’s court ruling that Uefa and Fifa broke EU law in their attempts to block the Super League – because he believes they should not have the power to introduce new competitions without consulting with clubs and managers.

Klopp, an outspoken opponent of the Super League for years and a manager who dealt the proposed competition a blow by speaking up against it in 2021, objects to the ever busier schedule, with Fifa introducing an expanded Club World Cup in 2025 and Uefa adding more Champions League matches next season.

Liverpool initially signed up for the Super League two-and-a-half years ago – without telling Klopp – and then withdrew after a backlash, which included vice-captain James Milner saying he did not like it.

On Friday, they became the last of the six English clubs who first tried to join the Super League to publicly say they would not try and join it again.

The club said: “Yesterday’s ruling by the European Court of Justice does not change Liverpool FC’s previous stance on a proposed European Super League. Our involvement has been discontinued. We will continue to work with fellow clubs through the ECA and participate in Uefa competitions.”

And Klopp added: “I agree 100 per cent with that statement – but I like the verdict anyway. I like that we get a little bit of understanding that people in Uefa and other FAs cannot just do what they want creating like – because we have to talk about football in the future - putting in competitions with more games and no-one has a real say in it. I like they get a bit of a shake, ‘OK, you cannot exactly do what you want’. But Super League, the same opinion I had before.”

Klopp, who has led Liverpool to three Champions League finals, said in 2019 he hoped a Super League would never happen.

Liverpool face Arsenal on Saturday when Klopp will be without the injured Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Diogo Jota, though each is getting closer to a return.

He believes left-back Andy Robertson, who is back in training after a dislocated shoulder, could be fit next month.

He said: “Andy is doing well. The problem is the shoulder is not there, the rest of the body is fine, but we need to be patient a bit longer. He can do all the physical work already because that annoys him, because it is not allowed for ball training. When he is allowed to go, shoulder-wise, I think it is a short time until he is back and we all hope it will be January but I don’t know.”