Jamie Carragher insists Liverpool’s Fenway Sports Group owners would be chased out of the club by the fans if Jurgen Klopp left the club following Sunday’s announcement of the controversial European Super League proposals.
Speaking in 2019, the German said the current Champions League is the Super League and was against the idea of a new system being created, which he revealed he was still not in favour of ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Leeds.
Klopp’s comments came after a day in which Reds fans were seen protesting outside Anfield with banners and with Leeds fans ahead of the Premier League fixture between the two sides at Elland Road.
Jamie Carragher insists Liverpool’s owners would be chased out of the club by the fans if Jurgen Klopp (right) left them
Reds fans have been protesting all day after proposals for a controversial European Super League were announced Sunday
Reds fans successfully protested against former owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, with the American selling the club in 2010 to John W. Henry and New England Sports Ventures group, three years after selling it.
And speaking to Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Carragher insisted the same would happen to Henry and his current group should Klopp leave, accusing the owners of financially exploiting the club’s history of winning trophies.
‘From my club, the only reason Liverpool are in this is or have a chance in being in this Super League, is because they’ve won six European Cups and 20 league titles. Only one of each came under FSG,’ Carragher said.
‘They have used everything Liverpool have done in their history, going to even before Bill Shankly, to line their own pockets.
Reds fans managed to get former owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks to sell the club
And Carragher believes John W. Henry would face the same fate if the German boss departed
‘The biggest thing is that everyone’s against it tonight. Jurgen Klopp spoke about this in 2019 and made his stance very clear.
‘If Liverpool lose their manager on the back of this in the next 12 months, then the owners will be run out of that club in a week. I can assure you of that.
‘It hurts me more because this ownership bought Liverpool on the back of other American owners who ran the club badly and the fans got them out.
‘These [owners] got the club for a steal. It is now six or seven times bigger, they’ve made their money and they won the lottery with Liverpool.’
Carragher accused Fenway Sports Group of financially exploiting the club’s history of success
In 2019, Klopp said: ‘For me, the Champions League is the Super League, in which you do not always end up playing against the same teams… Why should we create a system where Liverpool faces Real Madrid for 10 straight years? Who wants to see that every year?”
And Carragher now agrees that particular fixture would become boring and turn off generations of supports, and believes the European Super League lacks the excitement that current competitions offer.
‘People will become very bored of Real Madrid vs Liverpool. It was exciting, that’s what it’s all about in European football,’ Carragher added.
‘This will turn away generations of supporters. It’s going to become boring, nothing there. What am I going to get excited about?
Klopp reiterated his stance in 2019 that he is against the creation of a European Super League
‘I love watching Liverpool. Football can take you to a place where nothing else can. This will never take you to this place again.
‘The worrying thing is, this game tonight [against Leeds],there’s something to it. The proposals mean it means nothing in 12 months’ time.
‘It doesn’t matter if Liverpool finish in top four or not. They’ll play half the kids like the Carabao Cup team. They’re already in the Super League next year, it doesn’t matter.’
Ahead of the game, Klopp sang from the same hymn sheet he had been reading off two years ago, adding: ‘My opinions didn’t change. I heard first time about it yesterday and when you try and prepare for a very difficult game like Leeds United and then so far we got some information not a lot to be honest – most of the things you can read.
Klopp added he could understand why fans were against the move and said nothing must come between teams and fans
‘It’s a tough one people are not happy with that, I can understand that but I can’t say a lot about it to be honest. We were not involved in any processes, me nor the players we didn’t know about it. We’ll have to wait and see how it develops.
‘I’m 53 years old since I was first a professional, the Champions League was there. As a manager it was my aim to coach a team there.
‘I like the Champions League, the competitive factor of football. I like the fact that West Ham might play Champions League next year. I don’t want them too because we want to do that. But they have a chance like that.
‘What can I say: Liverpool is much more than some decisions and the most important things in football is the supporters and the teams and we have to make sure nothing comes between them.’