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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was quite vocal in opposing the now-disbanded European Super League last week. The German was unhappy with how the owners of the supposed big clubs in Europe decided to form a breakaway league.
Days after the cancelation of the European Super League, UEFA announced a new format for the Champions League starting from the 2024/25 season. According to the new format, there will be 36 teams in the main competition instead of 32. The group stages will be replaced by a league format during which each team will play 10 games.
Liverpool manager unimpressed by UEFA changing the UCL format
Speaking ahead of their game against Newcastle, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp expressed his views on the new format and it appears that he is unhappy with the changes. In an interview with the Metro, Klopp said:
"The only people who never get asked are the coaches, the players and the supporters. UEFA didn’t ask us, the Super League didn’t ask us. It’s just always ‘play more games’. The new Champions League, what’s the reason for that? Money."
The Liverpool manager is clearly upset about the number of games each Champions League team will have to play. When Klopp first arrived in England, the German stated that he couldn't understand why there wasn't a winter break in English football. Talking about the congestion of fixtures, Klopp said:
“You can’t have 20 teams in a league, two cup competitions, 10 international games before Christmas. These things aren’t possible.”
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has hit back at the comments made by the Liverpool manager. The Slovenian leader has suggested that the governing body is always open to altering the formats of competitions. Ceferin said that if managers and players are unhappy with the new format, they should be open to taking a pay-cut.
"There can always be less matches but also the salaries of the players and coaches have to adapt. You cannot generate less and earn more all the time," said Ceferin.
Ceferin also believes that even if the Champions League format remains untouched, it will still remain the best competition in the world. According to Ceferin, the changes were proposed as teams are in dire need of financial assistance.
"I read some people saying: 'We don’t want more matches.' I’m fine with that, really, I am. If the Champions League stays as it is, it will still be the best competition in the world. Our reforms came about because clubs need help responding to the financial crisis," explained Ceferin.
