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Barcelona legend Hristo Stoichkov has hit out at ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp for his comments on the FIFA Club World Cup. Stoichkov claimed that the German tactician would not be complaining about the tournament if his side was involved.
Speaking to MARCA and El Mundo, Stoichkov said that Klopp has taken part in the old format of the FIFA Club World Cup when he was with Liverpool. Klopp left the Reds last summer to take a break from his managerial career and currently serves as the head of global soccer for Red Bull.
Stoichkov believes that the German is upset because RB Salzburg are out of the tournament and said (via GOAL):
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"I didn't expect Jurgen to say that. Maybe he's upset because Salzburg is no longer in the competition. When Liverpool played in the Club World Cup and received money, they didn't complain. More respect is needed. What does Klopp prefer, playing in China, Japan, or Indonesia, or participating in a prestigious competition like this one? Liverpool played in this tournament, and I didn't hear them complain."
"He suddenly complains now, maybe because Red Bull is no longer on the teams' jerseys. It is an important tournament, a competition where many young players are starting out and can participate in a significant tournament. For me, it is fantastic. These complaints need to be taken more seriously."
RB Salzburg were in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer, but got knocked out in the group stage. They finished third in Group H behind Real Madrid and Al Hilal, who went through to the Round of 16.
What did Liverpool legend Jurgen Klopp say about FIFA Club World Cup?
Jurgen Klopp hit out at everyone involved in the decision-making behind the FIFA Club World Cup revamp. He said that the players will not get the rest they need because of the tournament.
Klopp told German newspaper Die Welt (via ESPN):
"It's a pointless competition. Whoever wins it will be the worst winner of all time because they'll have played all summer and then gone straight back into the league. There are people who have never been involved in the day-to-day business of football and are now coming up with ideas."
"It's too many games. I fear that next season we will see injuries like never before. If not then, they'll come during or after the Club World Cup. There's no real recovery for those involved, neither physically nor mentally."
FIFA Club World Cup was formerly a yearly tournament, but it has now been expanded to 32 teams and revamped into a quadrennial competition.
