Football
Glenn Price, Liverpool correspondent 7y

Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp disapproves of FIFA's proposals to change game

LIVERPOOL -- Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said the rules of football do not need to change, in light of FIFA technical director Marco van Basten's recent proposals.

As part of a number of proposals that three-time Ballon d'Or winner Van Basten put forward, he suggested scrapping the offside rule, replacing penalty shootouts with eight-second run-ups and introducing orange cards to send players to sin-bins for 10 minutes.

However, Klopp feels that those trying to change the rules of football are "squeezing" everything out of the game, with FIFA recently confirming the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams from 2026.

"I thought actually in the season most of the teams play against us without offside," Klopp joked at a news conference on Friday afternoon in reference to the number of offside goals his side have conceded this season. "But I'll try to answer seriously. My opinion about this is that this wonderful game we all love doesn't need rule changes.

"What we are doing in this moment -- not only in England but in general with the more teams at the world championships -- really brings the game in danger, in my opinion. Because obviously a few people have to think they have to squeeze everything out of football that they can in this moment.

"I think they don't care enough about the future in football because it's, for me, the most wonderful game. Everybody enjoys it, but if it's too much then it's too much. That's how it is. That's the thing that they should have a look at."

Klopp added: "I don't know exactly what Marco van Basten is doing. Was it a real idea or was it something he thought about or whatever? He can invent another game, so that's no problem. We have enough pitches around the world, so play something else somewhere else. But I think this game that we all love doesn't need this kind of rule changes."

Meanwhile, the Reds boss hailed the impact of new Swansea City boss Paul Clement ahead of Saturday afternoon's Premier League meeting at Anfield.

Clement was appointed manager of the Welsh side, who currently sit bottom of the Premier League, on Jan. 3 and he has won one and lost two since taking over.

"Unbelievable, really unbelievable," Klopp responded when asked for his opinion on Clement's impact. "I'm not sure I have ever seen such an improvement in such a short space of time.

"It's an unbelievable job and they are back on track, if you want. We don't only watch results, we watch performance and we know their quality."

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