This week, Jürgen Klopp was contacted by UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, after Klopp criticized both the number of Champions League tickets that are made available to supporters and the prices of these.
The Stade de France has a capacity of 75,000 spectators at the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid on May 28, but the two finalists have only received 20,000 tickets each. This made the Liverpool manager take the magazine by the mouth, and express his opinion on just that.
Ceferin has since explained to Klopp that the clubs receive 93.5 percent of the income from the final. The German then replied that he would rather UEFA get a larger share of the revenue if they could make more tickets available to the supporters of the two final teams and at the same time close down the Nations League. A national team tournament which means that the season continues into June for many of the players in his Liverpool stable.
– We did not talk together. We texted with each other. He gave me the same explanation he has given publicly. That 93 percent of the income goes to the clubs, and that UEFA only gets a few euros. I answered, and said that okay, it would have been better if I had more information before I answered this, but the problem is that I can not be perfectly prepared for questions like this. But I can still have an opinion, Klopp said during his press conference before the FA Cup final.
– I did not know enough about the ticket issue. But I explained to him that the reason I get in such a bad mood when I talk about UEFA is because of the Nations League. I still think it’s the most ridiculous idea in the world of football.
Totally crazy
– When we end a season where players have played over 70 games, 63 games plus internationals, then it is completely crazy. And then we continue with the Nations League afterwards. There is no championship tournament this summer, so who cares if we play four, five or six internationals.
– I would have preferred UEFA to earn more in the Champions League final, and put down the Nations League. It would have been my preferred solution, in addition to more tickets for the people. That is my personal opinion, said the Liverpool manager.
Earlier this week, UEFA confirmed the new format for the Champions League from the 2024/25 season, where the number of group stage matches increases from six to eight for all clubs.
– Several matches is always a bad idea, Klopp thinks.
– I have talked quite often about this. But no one bothers to listen to me.
–
