Klopp: Money always needed to progress

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits the club have to progress in the “moneythrowing competition” which is the Champions League if they are to build on their success so far.

The club banked £70million in their run to last year’s final, just £6million less than eventual winners and 13-time champions Real Madrid, and contributed to the club becoming the first to post record profits of over £100m in the year to May 2018.

Liverpool earned around £23million from their group stage, excluding additional television revenue, with the 1-0 win over Napoli in their final match securing qualification and with it an extra £8.1m for reaching the knockout phase.

Victory over Bayern in their last-16, second leg tie would bring in another £9m while progression all the way to the final would be worth another £23.6m, before more TV revenue is factored in.

Klopp is focusing on the football, with the tie finely poised at 0-0, but he is well aware of the financial implications a win brings.

“We all have to qualify constantly for Champions League. That’s what gives us the money to improve to do the next step and the next step,” he said.

“It is a money ... what is it? ... it is a money-throwing competition and we have to be in it as long as possible because we have to improve the situation for the club.

“When we qualified (for the knockout phase) by beating Napoli I’m not sure how much but it was (worth), a lot of money in one game.

“I didn’t think a second before that game ‘Oh my God! We have to earn this money for the club!’.

“We only wanted to go through. After we got through it was like ‘Wow! That’s proper!’.

“We have to earn most of the money for ourselves with the football that we play. That is exactly what you can do in the Champions League.

“If it happens, it will be a great night. If it doesn’t happen, it is not the end of the world. But I don’t think a second about it that it will not happen.”

Trent Alexander-Arnold and James Milner took part in training yesterday.

Full-back Alexander-Arnold was taken off towards the end of Sunday’s 4-2 Premier League win over Burnley as a precaution and midfielder Milner, who has been hampered by a muscle problem, sat that game out.