Jurgen Klopp spoke of starting to add the “icing on the cake” in the FA Cup final, enjoying the journey, and his frustration with UEFA as more games continue to be added to the schedule.
Here are four key things from the manager ahead of the final at Wembley:
Fabinho ‘definitely’ back for Paris
There was always a fear that the Champions League final may come too soon for Fabinho but Klopp confirmed he will “definitely” be back in time!
“He will definitely be back for the Champions League final,” Klopp told reporters on Friday.
“And [about returning] before, we will see. We don’t know, that’s it.
“[He is] absolutely OK, Fab is a professional,” he continued.
“He was obviously not happy about it, that’s clear, but he took it and is already taking on the fight against time. That’s how it is.”
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Enjoy the journey
This season has been something else entirely, with Klopp’s side delivering one moment to cherish after another.
And while it’s up to Liverpool to put “the icing on the cake,” it’s the job of the supporters to enjoy the ride – irrespective of where and how it ends.
“We have to produce the icing on the cake, but if you can’t enjoy it then I can’t help you,” Klopp said.
“In a season like this, [my team] delivering the consistency they’ve delivered is insane.
“I’m really happy that the people can be part of this journey. They are the main reason for this journey.”
Didn’t have the squad, but now we do
It’s the first FA Cup final for Liverpool under Klopp and the manager was eager to stress it’s never been for a lack of desire, more that limited manpower dictated priorities were elsewhere at the start.
“We always gave our all to make it to the final, we just didn’t make it for different reasons,” Klopp said of the cup final
“What is clear when you start a journey, what we did six or seven years ago, you cannot have it all. We didn’t have the squad for going for it all, we had to make changes.
“Everyone makes changes during a FA Cup and Carabao Cup campaign, that’s how it is. Some teams when they make changes you don’t realise and think, ‘they made changes and it’s still a great team’.
“It was never that we didn’t want to go to the final, not at all, we just didn’t have the manpower to do it.”
The issue with UEFA
A continual increase on the games players have to play, fans losing out on tickets and paying extortionate prices – pick your poison when it comes to UEFA and football’s governing bodies.
For Klopp, his opinions have long been made clear and long been brushed over.
“More games is always a bad idea, to be honest. Always a bad idea,” Klopp said when asked about the new Champions League format.
“I spoke quite frequently about that and obviously nobody is interested! That’s OK.
“The reason why I’m not in such a good mood when I speak about UEFA and stuff like this is because of the Nations League.
“I still think that’s one of the most ridiculous ideas in the world of football, because now we finish a season where players played more than 70 games easily.”
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