Regarding the recently implemented 32-team structure of the Club World Cup, former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is not holding back. Speaking with obvious worry, he has placed this most recent alteration to the beautiful game under intense scrutiny and issued a warning about the taxing physical demands that these changes place on players, who are already dealing with a demanding schedule.
In an interview with a German newspaper, Klopp said, “This is the worst idea ever introduced in football,” echoing the opinions of many others. “We had the Copa America and the Euros last year. The Club World Cup is being held this year, and the World Cup will follow. He emphasized, “That means there is no recovery time, neither physical nor mental, for the players involved,” presenting a bleak vision of a future in which athletes are denied the valuable time required to rejuvenate their bodies and souls.
Introduced for the first time this year, the new format has hit the football world like a controversial thunderbolt. It struggles to gain traction with clubs, players, and fans amid an increasing chorus of discontent, all of whom are looking warily at a schedule that is already overflowing.