Jurgen Klopp Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp will harness the desperation of his Liverpool players to help secure Champions League qualification – but is prepared for missing out on the competition. The Reds have given themselves a chance of salvaging a top-four finish from a difficult campaign with a seven-game unbeaten Premier League run. The 19-time champions will almost certainly seal Champions League qualification by winning their final three games, starting at relegated West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. And Klopp has explained the desire of his squad to retain their berth at Europe’s top table while reiterating a transfer contingency plan is in place should the Reds fall short over the next eight days.
Jurgen Klopp said: The season always has an impact on the next season, that is clear – money-wise or success-wise,” said the Reds boss. We try to be prepared for pretty much everything, from a scouting point of view or a coaching point of view. We have always said that. This season has had so many turns, ups and downs, we shouldn’t be acting like it (a top-four finish) is going to happen. But it’s important, that is clear. For the players, it’s even much more important from a joy point of view, they want to desperately play Champions League. We have to use that. We will not stop playing if we don’t qualify, and we will not buy eight players if we qualify. That’s not the difference. We have to do serious stuff and we will see how that works out. Then we will play the new season. I am six years in, and in the first year we didn’t have a proper chance to qualify for the Champions League. But from then on, we qualified all the time and it was always the main target. That says something – it shows it is really important to the club.”
Klopp has reiterated his belief that Liverpool will have deserved to miss out on the Champions League if they fail to finish in the top four. And asked if the competition would be poorer without his team’s participation,
Jurgen Klopp added: “Definitely, but I don’t think they will give us a wild card because of that! Some other good teams are not in yet as well – imagine a Champions League without Juventus. You have to deserve it. If you are not part of it, then you didn’t.”
