ANGRY KLOPP BLASTS FA AND PREM OVER TOON BUYOUT BY THE SAUDIS
JURGEN KLOPP took aim at the Premier League and the FA, and questioned why Richard Masters had not made a statement on Newcastle’s new owners.
It is fair to say the Liverpool boss was in a feisty mood ahead of his side’s lunchtime kick-off with Watford today.
Klopp has clearly been agitated by the Reds’ squad selection being disrupted by the international break.
Alisson and Fabinho will miss today’s game owing to Brazil playing late on Thursday against Uruguay.
Curtis Jones being injured on England Under-21 duty only soured his mood further.
But, of course, the Liverpool manager was questioned on Newcastle’s new Saudi owners, who look set to pump bucketloads of money into the club, which will add to the Reds’ challenge at the top of the table.
Klopp’s issue was with Premier League chief Masters remaining silent on the human rights allegations against Saudi Arabia, where the Magpies’ owners are from.
“I was waiting for some official statement about it from Richard Masters or somebody else, because we all know there are obviously concerns about human rights issues,” said Klopp.
“As far as I know, it is the third club to be owned by a country.
“I am not sure how many countries are out there to have the financial power and interest to do so.” Klopp continued to complain about how he has had to send Fabinho and Alisson direct to Spain, where Liverpool face Atletico Madrid on Tuesday in the Champions League.
The pair would not be back on Merseyside in time for a lunchtime kick-off. And although they could play without quarantine, Klopp is not happy with the UK rules for red-list arrivals which keeps them away from their families.
Klopp wants the pair, who played in Colombia last weekend, to stay in
Spain an extra day so they are not forced into a hotel.
But he was still angry that the Premier League and Watford would not push the game at Vicarage Road back today.
He said: “We ask only for a few hours that would have made it a little
bit more likely they could have played, but bringing them in for 12.30 there’s no chance for them.
“If we had played at seven o’clock, we would have probably tried it, but neither Watford nor the Premier League was open to that kind of thing – their understanding of fair competition.”
And to add to his anger, midfielder Jones (with Klopp, top left, and in action, bottom) will miss today’s clash too. “It is really difficult to get in proper contact, even with the English federation because they do what they want,” added Klopp.
“He didn’t train, wasn’t involved in the first game, and then played a few minutes in the second against Andorra – great. Very important that he played there. But he came back with a slight injury a and is not available.”