Jürgen Klopp Pre-Match Press Conference Transcript Arsenal-Liverpool July 14

Speaker 1: (00:00)
Cool. Yeah. Good. Start with story. Nice. Actually, have you heard back from other payer? I can Fenway after you hit him up with a congratulatory message and when are you partying with him?

Jürgen Klopp: (00:10)
It’s possible in the future one day. I don’t know exactly. But he is invited for the parade 100%. So I saw, before the video, when he was sitting in the team meeting and I was in a little pocket, which I thought this was really funny. No. I watched the game last night. Yes. He responded. He sent a video back.

Speaker 1: (00:34)
Well, what did he say?

That’s private. At least a few things alive should say private. It was nice. It was nice. He was obviously really happy.

Speaker 1: (00:43)
Something we’re asking all managers today is what your thoughts are on the decision to overturn Manchester City’s European ban? And also, what does that mean for financial fair play now?

I think we should move that question to the end, because if I give my answer now, then nobody will listen to the rest. No, it’s a joke. I don’t even know if I can answer it. One of the big issues I have is obviously, I think it’s a serious subject. I’ve said that a couple of times before that, not speaking in your native language is a problem, obviously. From a personal point of view, I’m happy that City can play [inaudible 00:01:32] next year. Because, if I think about a league and City has 10, 12 games less, I don’t see, for resting players, I don’t see any chance for any teams in a league, honestly.

Apart from that, I don’t wish anybody anything bad. Just like I said, I’m happy that City can play [inaudible 00:01:59] but I don’t think it was a good day for football yesterday, to be honest. Just because I think FFP is a good idea. It’s there for protecting teams, protecting the competition, that was the idea in the start, that nobody overspends, stuff like this. That can, before the season, again we have to make sure that the money they want to spend is based on the right sources, let me say like this. On top of it, I come from Germany. I’m educated in a completely different system the majority of my life. We have a different club. We have different clubs structures. That’s really club structure and not an owner-based system. So for me, we never, probably Germany, as long as they stick to that system, they never will have these kind of problems.

It was clear where we get the money from before the season. You get your license. If you don’t get the license, then you can’t be part of the competition. Maybe you know that is licensing system in Germany. It makes it slightly difficult, I think really FOP is a good idea. I don’t know. I don’t know if anybody… If you know more, I read a little bit about the judgment or the verdict, whatever, what they said why it was like it was. It’s not up to me to judge this, and I don’t. I only think this FFP frame, which is for all of us, we all should stick to. That’s all I can say. That’s what the roots up on. I really hope that FFP stays just because it gives at least kind of quarters where you can go to, but not over it, and I think that’s good for football honestly.

If you start doing that nobody has to care anymore at all, and the richest people or countries can do what they want to do, but it would make the competition really difficult. And I think that would lead automatically then in a world super league with 10 clubs, and I don’t know exactly the clubs. It depends then not to the name of the clubs. It depends to the people who own the clubs and then they can play against each other. I think it makes sense that we have these kinds of rules, but about the case from yesterday or the judgment from yesterday, I don’t know enough, or I didn’t understand it properly why this was the judgment. I don’t know.

Speaker 1: (04:30)
Looking ahead to the game then, I just wonder what differences you see in Arsenal and [inaudible 00:04:36]. Is this a side that will again be challenging the top four in the not too distant future at least?

Unfortunately, probably, yes. It looks very much so. Mikel is part of this very exciting, new coaching generation, or managers generation, really exciting to watch, You can see the ideas behind, obviously that’s good influenced by Pat, who worked together with him, probably they had the same idea already before when Mikel was still a player. And so yes, you can see a massive influence of him. And on top of that, obviously Arsenal a really exciting squad and all the different… They have more experienced offensive players, which was a massive quality. And then coming up a lot of really, really good ones. Yeah, looks like Arsenal will be a proper challenger again.

Speaker 3: (05:33)
Kenny, at Sun Country.

Simon: (05:35)
Hi again. Can ask you about any team news really? I’m just wondering whether James Milner has perhaps got any chance of playing before the end of the season? Or if there’s any fresh injuries that maybe we don’t know about?

My last information is, and it’s from yesterday, because today I didn’t speak to anybody and we’ve [inaudible 00:05:54] later. The last time I was in, Milner is in contention or is pretty safe for the Chelsea game. And nobody told me yet that he will be available tomorrow and he didn’t train yesterday. So that doesn’t a good sign then, but it will be fine for Chelsea I’m pretty sure. Apart from that, no new injuries on the list. So we should have the same squad like we have for the Burnley game.

Simon: (06:26)
Good. In the loop blackout today, our friends there said it was three years to the day since Mel Salar made his first appearance in a Liverpool shirt in that preseason friendly against Wigan when he scored and went off at halftime. If he plays against Arsenal, it will be as 150th competitive appearance. I’m just wondering if this is a good time for you to remind us about the first time that he really came on to your radar as a player? And the first time as well that you thought we’ve got to have him now?

First of all, that means he played 50 games a year, each season, 50 games, and still counting. So probably then unbelievable. That it’s a big number. And then obviously he was like, “We were lucky that he could play all these games because he wasn’t injured,” which is good. Exactly. I was very positive in a moment when it was clear that we have him, that we signed him. I remember our talk, where we was when we first met face to face and when we spoke about, he said, “Salu, what’s your favorite position?” It would be right wing. “Okay. But Salumani’s playing there,” he told me and said, “and he’s plays a pretty good season, huh?” Yeah, he does, but he can play the other wing as well, so that was pretty much the start.

The idea was clear how we want to play with the boys up front there. But it worked out in a manner of which we couldn’t have expected, obviously. Their squad now 250 goals since they played together, or [inaudible 00:08:14] 250 goals. I’m not sure, but it’s an incredible number. So yeah, it was a good day for Liverpool and a very good day as well for [inaudible 00:08:20]. Because. I think it fits really well. And that’s very important in life, that you cannot change the world alone, but together with the right people around you, you have a better chance to do it.

Speaker 3: (08:31)
Thank you, Simon. Juliet [inaudible 00:00:08:39].

Juliet: (08:37)
Hey. Yeah. Again, just listening to what you said about FFP with the richest clubs in the country, if they don’t stick to it, it can make football more difficult. And when you see someone like [inaudible 00:08:50], like in Fenworld, beast-mode last night, just enjoying his success, although he’s never played at the highest level. The journey that he’s been on, he didn’t have a club four years ago, the merger to the championship and everything else, does that bring you happiness and joy when you see players do that just as much as your own players winning the premier league, winning the champions league?

You don’t have to mention the one thing to celebrate the other thing, it was just nice to see. Yesterday before the game, to be 100% honest, neither of [inaudible 00:09:24]. Whycom? Whickam?

Speaker 3: (09:22)
Wickham.

How do you say it? Wickham supported our [inaudible 00:09:31] in place for Oxford. I was slightly more on the side of Oxford, but I watched the game just because I want to see it. And then when they won it, it’s just nice to see how much it means to them. As Emmanuel and I both, I don’t like the playoffs too much. I was in my life once or twice. The pressure is really incredible. It’s not a lot to do with enjoyment, but the winner afterwards is obviously outstanding. And I like it a lot. It meant a lot to the manager last night, obviously to all the players there, and it was on the other side really hard for the Oxford boys, so that’s helpful bullies. There’s only one winner possible and these kinds of games and it was last night not Oxford. But, no, I just enjoy it, these kinds of stories. Of course, I like it because as a player I was in similar situations, so that’s how it is.

Football meant everything to me before somebody thought it’s worth to give him some money for it. And that’s why that never changed. And that’s why I always will love this game because you can fulfill your own dreams. It just depends to the dreams. And for some teams, it’s a bit earlier. For other teams, they have to wait a little bit longer, but if you work hard, there’s still a chance for you, and still a possibility for you. I hope this game stays like it is. I’m not worried about that. This game always have these all these kinds of chances. And it’s just exactly how it should be. If you work really hard, you can make it.

Speaker 3: (11:13)
Fantastic. Thank you, Juliet. We got to James Mantford from the Big C [inaudible 00:11:18] for two questions. James? You’ve got it on mute. We can’t hear you. Maybe James is not there. Sorry James, you’ve not muted yourself. So we’ll go to Carl Markham who’s next up. Carl? There we go.

Carl Markham: (11:37)
There’s been some suggestion in the last couple days that they’re probably going take an option on [inaudible 00:11:43] contract for another year. It’s not been the best season for him, with I think 15 appearances. I just wonder where you see his future?

If his performance [inaudible 00:11:55] appearances, unfortunately a couple of times injured, once for sure. It was not available. Dion played for us outstanding games. So was always a very bad, is a very important part of the squad. And yeah, absolutely no problem. It’s always like this. We have four [inaudible 00:12:14] halves and we play usually with two of them. But, we needed all four always. So very, very important role. Played for us the Gemsick Final, played a lot of big games, and was a very, very, as always, a very reliable player. So nothing else to say about it honestly.

Carl Markham: (12:35)
Is there a value to the experience he has? Is why he’s [inaudible 00:12:42] on the outside? Is there a value you place on the experience he has for you?

Yeah, absolutely. How has that? Since I’m in, Dion was always either in the team or close to the team, or not available, there was nothing else. So we never had problems. So it’s all good. Nothing to say about the contract situation, because that’s nothing to discuss in a public. It’s just how it is. I think that the situation is absolutely clear. Dion is a player of LFC and we need him in this moment. Again, with Gerald injured, we have again, only three center halves, so one more injured and Dion had a little problem the last two weeks, not massive, but little is now available again. That’s what you need. What you want. You need the quality we have on a center half decision to be successful. And that’s why there’s nothing really to discuss.

Speaker 3: (13:38)
Okay. Fantastic. Carl, we’ll try James Mantford, from BBC [inaudible 00:13:42] side.

James Mantford: (13:43)
Hello? Can you hear me this time?

Speaker 3: (13:45)
Yes. You’re unmuted.

Wonderful. Thank you. Jurgen, you mentioned earlier about Mikel Arteta, and he has obviously made the successful transition from being a player to becoming a manager. I just want to know Jurgen, what potential do you see in your own squad for future managers?

A lot of talent in there because we have very good characters, leaders in the team. Which is obviously one fact. But the other guys are maybe too young to judge that now. So it’s not important to think about that now. The first and foremost, you have to want it as a player. You want to be a manager because you have to learn it. If you are ready to learn it, it’s not rocket science. So, if you have then the right leadership skills, if you are ready to work hard, because that’s the first thing you have to accept. Some players after their career say, okay, football, I have had enough for awhile. That’s absolutely okay. If you may want to travel for a year or so, but then you have to start. Then you have to start working until the end of your career, you saw the game mainly only your perspective on the pitch. And you need to get a bigger view on it. That’s something that doesn’t work without hours, and hours, and hours watching football games and try to understand why things happen like they have more the pitch.

So yes, we have talents, but I don’t want to put any burden on their shoulders. If they want to do it, we have to have a lot of players who could do it. If they don’t want to do it, I’m fine as well. We could always find something else.

And Virgil VanDyke, if he does complete this season, each game, he’ll become Liverpool’s first outfield player to be an ever present in back to back lead campaigns since Robbie Fowler did it in the mid nineties. I just wanted to get again, how does Virgil look after himself off the field to enable him to be such an ever present?

Absolutely. Now we speak about bunch about they do it. They do everything around them to provide the perfect things, what they need for recovery. But of course, that’s how excited we are with, not only Virgil. Virgil played all the games, but all the others were pretty much always available, a lot of them. And it makes it then, that makes it easier to be on the pitch. Yeah. No, it’s just what he has to do. He’s a sensational professional. No doubt about that. But he plays center half. They don’t run exactly like Dmitri does. So, in some games, at least for us. No, it’s up to the boys. They take care and we can do from outside, we do of course. And we try to improve that every day, actually, for sure, every season, we look how the different recovery things work. And if they’re good, we stick to them and improve them. If they don’t work really well, then we change them. So, that’s how our process is. We learn still always, and the intensity of the game will not stop. It will get more and more intense. We have to make sure that we bring the boys over three days in the best possible shape on the pitch.

Speaker 3: (17:05)
Okay. And as it stands, this will be the last question in the open part before we go to the embargo and it’s from Rick, who’s from ABS-CBN in the Philippines. Rick, are you there? I’ve unmuted [crosstalk 00:17:18].

Rick: (17:19)
Good afternoon. First and foremost, congratulations Jurgen.

Thank you.

Rick: (17:23)
On your [inaudible 00:17:25]. My question is, is there anything you’re looking for in these last couple of matches in terms of tactics or individual play? Something that you’re looking at keenly for your players and for your team?

That’s difficult, because the Burnley game is so it’s so demanding. Making changes in this steps, and when you play every three days, is really difficult. So the most important thing in this moment is that we are really competitive, because our opponents obviously play for everything. Arsenal now wants to qualify for Europe and you will be able to feel that. And that’s what we have to make sure. And it’s good. It’s good for our development as well, because making sure for ourselves that we already in each game, and if we don’t play for anything apart from points, which points is the main thing, the three points, and the boys show me that all the time. That’s why I was really, again, really happy with the Burnley game, because it was from all the Burnley games I played so far, it was my teams was one of the better ones for sure. We just didn’t score the goals. And then we will always struggle against Barnaby. Because they believe in this one chance, and then they got it and they that’s why they could get a point.

That’s what they have to show, the attitude, the desire, that’s what they have to show. Football tactics, and I say now, “Let’s change this and that.” You have to fall for changes. Timing is extremely important because you have to speak about them and ask for them in moments when the boys are ready for that. It was all a difficult time with the lockdown, coming back, I was happy to play again, try to find your feet again, stuff like this. We did that. Great. Physical status is great.

It was very important as well because it showed us that the boys, when they were at home did their… Okay, we observed it obviously, but that they did all the necessary stuff. And all we have to finish this league in a really very, very difficult schedule with Asana and Chelsea, obviously it’s with the result last night, especially it’s a proper fight for Chairman’s League, so we will get the trophy that night. And Chelsea fights here with all they have for the Chairman’s League. That will be an interesting game as well, and allows to get Newcastle, which I know meanwhile is for some reason anyway, a pretty intense game. And so that’s how it is. So I don’t ask for changes. I asked for consistency. I want to see us consistent, performing on our highest level.

And then it’s always like this, if you don’t score and that happens in football, then you have to invest even more. If you score, then you maybe, you can make a life slightly easier, but without scoring, football will always stay a proper fight. And so far, the boys were really ready for that. So I’m fine with that.

Rick: (20:16)
Okay.

Jürgen Klopp Pre-Match Press Conference Transcript Arsenal-Liverpool July 14

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