Jürgen Klopp on Audi Cup, injuries and the season ahead
Jürgen Klopp discussed Liverpool's Audi Cup clash with Bayern Munich, the fitness of his squad and his targets for the season ahead during a press conference in Germany on Monday.
Appearing alongside Carlo Ancelotti, Diego Simeone and Maurizio Sarri - his respective counterparts from Bayern, Atletico Madrid and Napoli - in Munich, Klopp was quizzed on a range of topics as the four managers previewed the Audi Cup, which begins on Tuesday.
Read on for a transcript of Klopp’s answers…
On Liverpool’s training camp in Rottach-Egern…
Everything is really nice. It’s close to here and we had the invitation to the Audi Cup, so that’s really good. We’ve been here since Wednesday and we played in Berlin on Saturday, we’ve been training a lot and we’ve got the Audi Cup, then [a friendly with Athletic Club in] Dublin and it’s very important for us. It’s a really important test game for us - we have a hard season in front of us.
On returning to Munich to face Bayern again…
It’s no problem - I think I won my last game here in a spectacular penalty shootout! We played Saturday in Berlin and I’m always happy to be here, I’ve said that many times. I’m with a different club here now that has nothing to do with Dortmund. I think the pitch will be in very good condition, we have four really good teams playing here. The football that has been played [in this tournament] in the last few years has been absolutely great so it’s a great challenge for us. I think every team will have to put out two teams, and that’s more important than my memories from here.
On the season ahead…
We will be playing for the championship. That’s what we did last season, we were fourth, and you don’t start a season without any ambitions. We have a very good team, we had a bit of bad luck last season and I think we can play a little bit better. Let’s hope that everything will work very well. We have to work very hard and we’re doing that and it’s very important to see what we can achieve tomorrow, against Bayern. They are an absolutely top team, it doesn’t matter which team they play. In my experience they’re always a tough team to play and I’m excited to see what team he [Ancelotti] will have.
LFCTV GO: Watch the boss speak in Munich
On whether he is concerned over Liverpool’s defensive fitness issues…
It’s not a big injury [for Joe Gomez], he just sprained it a little bit. Not everyone has had their [full] preparations yet so we still have a few problems there, but so far everything is looking good. It’s quite a challenge to see what we can do with these players, it’s a little bit of a puzzle, but we will do our best. We’re going to train at 5pm today again and then, after that, I will know who’s available.
On whether the game against Bayern is good preparation for a potential Champions League campaign…
We don’t have to make it any bigger than it is. In one-and-a-half weeks we’re starting against Watford, we can’t forget that. So every game is very important, but it’s not something to look at like that. If we do win, great, but it’s just a preparation game, I don’t think you’ll learn that much out of a game like that, that has nothing to do with the Champions League as such. It’s the top, top level, that’s where we want to be and so we’ll have to see how we go.