LIVERPOOL STILL ON THE RISE
AFTER tens of billions of dollars spent on infrastructure and scepticism over the tiny gas-rich nation’s suitability as a sporting host, a world soccer crown has been won in Qatar.
It was Liverpool lifting FIFA’s lesser-regarded Club World Cup trophy for the first time on Saturday night. In three years, the biggest prize in soccer will be handed out in a stadium yet to be completed.
The Club World Cup, which ended with Roberto Firmino sealing Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Flamengo in extra time, has been the first major international footballing test of Qatar’s readiness.
With a 45,000-strong crowd packed into Khalifa International Stadium, Qatar has shown it can fill a venue with sports fans — unlike at the track and field world championships this year.
“Everybody was for different reasons on the edge pretty much but I saw so many sensationally good performances and I’m really happy of course for our supporters,” Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said.
“The atmosphere in the stadium was great.”
When the European champions and South American champions met in a singlegame version of the Club World Cup 38 years ago, Flamengo beat Liverpool 3-0.
Since the 1981 Intercontinental Cup, football has tilted in Europe’s favour over South America but the very staging of this seven-team Club World Cup in the Persian Gulf shows where so much of the wealth now comes from in the sport.
And it was a Brazilian player prized from his homeland to Europe as a 19-year-old, initially by Hoffenheim in Germany, who settled this final for Liverpool in the 99th minute.
“I couldn’t be more happy for him that he could score that goal because ... (of) what this competition means to Brazil, to South American people,” Klopp said.
Firmino also struck in the semi-final victory over Monterrey.
But Firmino and his teammates will have to wait some time to attach FIFA’s gold Champions Badge to their jerseys.
Liverpool anticipates it will only be allowed to be worn in the Champions League, which resumes in February, rather than weekly in the Premier League.
It may have to settle with lifting the Premier League trophy in May for the first time.
“Liverpool are enjoying their best time in their decade,” Flamengo coach Jorge Jesus said of the six-time European champion.