Jurgen Klopp has launched a scathing attack on Fifa's expanded Club World Cup, branding it "the worst idea ever implemented in football" due to concerns about player welfare.
The former Liverpool manager, now serving as Red Bull's head of global soccer, delivered his damning verdict in an exclusive interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
He said: "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.
"People who have never had or do not have anything to do with day-to-day business anymore are coming up with something."
Jurgen Klopp blasted the Club World Cup as the 'worst idea ever implemented in football'
Getty
Klopp expressed "serious fears" that players could bring on unprecedented injuries in the coming season due to relentless fixture demands.
He warned: "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.
"Last year it was the Copa [America] and the European Championship, this year it's the Club World Cup, and next year the World Cup.
"That means no real recovery for the players involved, neither physically nor mentally.
JUST IN: ‘This is not football’: Enzo Maresca fumes at Club World Cup after Chelsea suspended for TWO HOURS
Chelsea have been playing the Club World Cup in 38 degree heat in Philadelphia, and had their game suspended for two hours due to weather conditions on Saturday
Reuters
"We constantly expect the players to go into every game as if it were their last. We tell them that 70 or 75 times a year. But it can't go on like this."
However, Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol sharply disagreed with Klopp's stance, defending the tournament's financial benefits whilst dismissing welfare concerns.
Solhekol said: "One thing I'd say to Jurgen Klopp is: Jurgen Klopp is now a very senior figure at Red Bull. Does he have a problem with RB Salzburg playing in this competition?
"I think RB Salzburg probably ended up making £20m-30m-40m from turning up and playing here in the group stages."
READ MORE: 'Flawless' Jake Paul lined up for heavyweight blockbuster fight after comfortable victory
Solhekol suggested Klopp should "go and play padel or go for a swim" before arguing that clubs would otherwise be touring America or the Far East during pre-season.
"Unfortunately, football is not just a sport any more. Whether you like it or not, football is a business; it's all about money now. If you don't like it don't watch it," he added.
Klopp's concerns echo those of Manchester City players, with Rodri warning in September that players were close to striking over increased fixtures after suffering a season-ending injury, whilst teammate Manuel Akanji suggested he might retire at 30 due to insufficient breaks.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
"If you don't like the Club World Cup, go and play padel or go for a swim" 🏊
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 28, 2025
Kaveh Solhekol has some advice for Jurgen Klopp after he said the "Club World Cup is the worst idea ever implemented in football" 🤔 pic.twitter.com/iVngjqBcEJ
The players' union Fifpro has taken formal action, filing a legal complaint with the European Commission in October over FIFA's "abuse of dominance" specifically related to the Club World Cup.
The expanded tournament format features 32 teams playing 48 games, with Red Bull Salzburg already eliminated at the group stage despite the substantial financial rewards Solhekol highlighted.
Klopp drew unfavourable comparisons with other sports' approach to player rest: "An NBA player, who also earns a big salary, has a four-month break every year. This is what Virgil van Dijk got in his entire career."
FIFA has defended its position, with senior sources insisting that player welfare has been central to their decision-making.
They pointed to initiatives including a fund for players, additional substitutes and permanent concussion substitutes.
The governing body firmly dismissed suggestions that the tournament contributes to fixture congestion, with a source stating it was "not caused by the Club World Cup".
They noted that teams would play a maximum of seven Club World Cup games every four years, with the competition replacing the slot previously occupied by the FIFA Confederations Cup.
Most Read
