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Jürgen Klopp has said that English football should be allowed to taste the safe return of fans to stadiums next month, as it plays a crucial role in bringing joy into people’s lives.
The Premier League has raised concerns about the possible delay of returning supporters from October 1 in a letter to the government, stating that 100,000 jobs depend on match day activities and that each month without hobbyists it costs the industry £ 100 million. The Liverpool manager believes that there is also an important psychological factor in favor of reintroducing crowds, and football must have every opportunity to prove that it can be done on schedule.
Klopp, whose team lifted the Premier League trophy behind closed doors at Anfield in July, said: “I really hope this is not a season without fans. I hope we can stick to plans for October-November that some people can return to a stadium. I really hope that because we have to try these things too.
“First, we had to get people back to work so that the economy could start to recover again in all countries. But now, after everything necessary is in a better place than before, we are all human beings and we human beings also want to have some joy, to do the important work that they have to do. I think we are part of that, bringing joy to people. If we can create a safe environment in stadiums for people, and only then, should there be opportunities for them.
“I can’t decide if we can do that or not. I’m pretty sure that we can and should look closely at what other countries are trying and what the impact is, because if France and Germany bring people back and nothing happens, it should be possible for us too. It is not the most important thing in the world, but it is important that among all the concerns and uncertainties we have, we give people the opportunity to return to a football stadium. It is part of our lives. I hope it happens sooner rather than later. “
Liverpool will begin their title defense at home against newly promoted Leeds on Saturday and Klopp has promised there will be no respite in the intensity that has underpinned his team’s success in recent seasons. He warned Leeds coach Marcelo Bielsa that even an empty Anfield will be a more difficult task than any he has faced in the Championship last season, provided there is no complacency among the champions.
“I respect what Leeds does a lot, but there is an important point,” Klopp said. “I know Marcelo said that Anfield is not Anfield without supporters and he is right, in a sense. But it’s still Anfield. It is our home and we are Liverpool. That shouldn’t sound like a threat, but they didn’t play us very often before and it should feel different to them too. We are willing to work hard and make life more uncomfortable for them than any team last year could against them. If we don’t we will suffer. That is what we have to know.
“It is the first game of the season and it seems like it is a great advantage for Leeds because they waited so long for the Premier League, everything is new, they are fighting for everything and we are the champions, leaning back and watching what Leeds is doing. We have never done this and as long as I breathe we will not be like this. That is what we have to make sure of in this game. It must be the most intense match Leeds has ever had, otherwise we will have more problems than I would like ”.
The Liverpool manager, meanwhile, happily apologized to Sir Alex Ferguson for waking up the 78-year-old in the first hours after winning the title. Ferguson revealed in a video announcing Klopp as the LMA manager of the year that he had received a message from the jubilant German on the night of Liverpool’s title win.
Klopp explained: “The problem was that I came back to my room late that night, obviously, and I couldn’t sleep right away, so I went through the messages I received and one of them was from Alex Ferguson. I think I just responded in a very polite way. It was around 3.30 am-4am and I didn’t expect him to have his phone next to his bed. I didn’t want to wake him up. If that happened, sorry Alex! But since then we have not been in contact. He’s still the former Manchester United manager and I don’t think he wants to tell me too much about Liverpool’s success. He respects it, but it is not what he likes to watch the most on television. “
