Klopp hits out at Uefa over Nations League

The 46-year-old trainer feels that replacing friendly fixtures with competitive matches is only going to place an even greater strain on Europe’s top footballers

Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp is upset that Uefa did not consult any coaches or players over its new ‘League of Nations’ tournament.

The competition, which will see Europe’s sides divided up into four divisions, has been created with the intention of replacing the majority of friendly fixtures with meaningful matches.

However, Klopp feels that the competitive nature of the games will only place greater physical demands on players.

“I think the decision would be have been different if the guys who made the decision [Uefa] would also have to play [the games],” the 46-year-old stated.

“We were not asked and it would have been nice if they’d included players and coaches [in the decision-making process].”

However, Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says that the new tournament has their support.

“We are not against the Nations Cup,” the former West Germany international told reporters.

“We understand that especially for the small and medium-sized national associations, friendly matches no longer sell [tickets].

“I’m not worried about the effect on the Champions League. It is the pinnacle of club football.

“A pleasant side side-effect of this idea is that our national team will no longer have to travel around the world for friendlies.”

The ‘League of Nations’ is scheduled to get under way in September 2018 and will provide four qualifiers for Euro 2020.

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