Jurgen Klopp has revealed that it’s the financial benefits that make qualifying for the Champions League so important, with Liverpool currently scrambling to secure a top four spot.
The Reds may be out of the title race, yet the battle for the top four is just beginning to hot up, with the likes of Everton, West Ham, Chelsea and Tottenham, as well as the champions themselves, all vying to secure a place in Europe’s elite competition.
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Klopp’s men are currently in sixth and two points behind the Hammers in fourth, whilst recent dropped points by Manchester United and Leicester have given renewed hope to the teams below, with leaders Manchester City arguably the only side guaranteed a top-four spot at present.
While Liverpool do still have hope of winning the Champions League for the second time in three season, they would not want to rely on that as a way to qualify for the competition for next season, particularly amid their current slump.
Ahead of a potentially crucial game in the fight for the top-four against Chelsea on Thursday night, Klopp has admitted that the benefit of the securing Champions League is largely financial, as well as helping to entice new players to the club.
“The main reason for qualifying for the Champions League is always financial. It is a great competition to play in but for the club it’s about [finances].
“Sure, you want to excite some players. In the beginning, we were sitting with some players who had offers from clubs who played in the Champions League and it was like ‘ok, sorry, we can only offer nothing or Europa League!’
“But apart from that, it’s always about finances. This year there is no difference, I would say. I hope people still see we do our absolute best and try everything to make it happen, but we will see how it will end up.
“It is not that the owners called me and said ‘if you don’t qualify for the Champions League then this or that will happen’, because we are all together. We all understand the situation. They know we try absolutely everything to qualify for the Champions League again, that’s clear.”
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