Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp criticised this winter's World Cup in a passionate, six minute speech in his latest press conference – and he certainly didn't hold back.
Throughout the build-up to this winter's tournament, hosts Qatar have been criticised over their attitude towards women and people within the LGBTQ+ community, while human rights groups continue to raise concerns over the country’s treatment of migrant workers.
On Friday, it emerged that FIFA have written to all 32 teams competing at the World Cup telling them to "focus on the football". They also say football should not be "dragged" into ideological or political "battles" and should not be "handing out moral lessons".
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Now, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has had his say on the matter.
Here's what the German manager said in full ahead of Liverpool's upcoming Premier League clash against Spurs.
"Will I be going to the World Cup? No, I'll [go on holiday] again," Klopp said. "I will watch the games anyway, but it is different. I watched an old documentary about the whole situation, how it got announced that Russia and Qatar will host the next two World Cups. I think it was the first time in history they announced two in one go.
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"We all know how it happened and how you can still let it happen and there is no legal thing afterwards leading to a real, how can I say it, that it was now open. Still, it was hidden, and you think how can it happen, and it was 12 years ago?
"It has nothing to do with Qatar, they won the World Cup, but the minute you put it there all the things that followed it up, it was clear and everyone that was involved should have known. And that we later talk about human rights and people have to work there in circumstances that were, to say it nicely, difficult, you could not play there in summer because it was pretty hot in the summer. It's now pretty hot and there was not one stadium in Qatar or maybe just one, so you have to build them.
"The [stadiums] don't just [appear] and it is all of sudden 'look at the new stadium'. It is not Aladdin with the wonder lamp. That is the situation. It can make you angry, how can it not? Again, I watch it from a football point of view, and I don't like the fact that the players, from time to time, get in a situation where they have to send a message."
Klopp added: "You are all journalists, you should have sent a message and you didn't write the most critical article about it. And not that it was in Qatar and things, but about the circumstances, that was clear. And there, we are guilty.
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"And now you tell players they have to wear this armband and if you don't do it you are not on their side, or if you do, then you are on [the other] side. No, it is footballers, it’s a tournament and players go there and do their best for their countries. It has nothing to do with the circumstances.
"I see it in interviews [questions] 'how is it being here in Qatar?' and it is all not okay for the players, I really have to say. But it's a tournament, it is here and we all let it happen, that's okay.
"Because 12 years ago nobody did anything then so we can all enjoy it now. There are wonderful people there as well and it is not that everything is bad, but how it happened was just not right in the first place. But now it is there and let them play the games, let them just play the games, the players and the managers.
"And don’t put Gareth Southgate constantly in a situation where he has to talk about everything. He is not a politician like I am not. He has an opinion, but he is not a politician. He is the manager of England and let him do it and if you want to write something else about it, then do it. But by yourself and not asking us [and writing] 'Klopp said' and 'Southgate said' and all these kinds of stuff as if it would change anything. We all - you (the media) more than I - let it happen 12 years ago.
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"The media have done a lot to question it? But not then. Not then. How is it possible at that time? It was a story of what happens. There was already clear what would happen and now it is 'oh yeah it is difficult to build a stadium in Qatar because we have to do it in their summer as well and it is 50 degrees'. That's not good for humans to be outside and do hard, physical work.
"It's actually impossible to be out there and do hard physical work. There were plenty of chances afterwards to say in the next three or four years that to say, by the way, the process is not right. A lot of people took money for the wrong reasons. I know that happened, but nothing changed. Nothing changed. How can that happen?
"Football people made those decisions? No, they were football politicians. No, you feel again this is personal? Because I said journalists should have done more. Look at your body language, do you really think we did enough in the first place? You are now making a story now when it has happened, coming out of the corner and getting the players under pressure with asking the questions, asking Harry Kane, he says he will wear [the armband], the other guys say 'please don't make political statements.' It's not ok!"
Klopp continued: "The thing is organised by other people. And I don't say you let it happen, but we all let it happen. Everything was on the table, but still Mr Sepp Blatter came somehow out of it, and it is that long ago that some of the worst guys died already. It was that long ago when we really could have sorted it.
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"It is not anything about Qatar, they won the World Cup, for whatever reason, that is fine. It is really about…I want a lot of things that do not happen but we carry on with it. You can have everything, it's fine. I will watch games of course, but it is different to other World Cups."
Featured Image Credit: Football Daily/TwitterTopics: Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool, Qatar, Football World Cup
