On Liverpool fans' concerns over travelling to Doha: "We have to respect the rules of different countries, I have to respect the rules of England when I live there, even if it's only a cultural thing. Of course, you can come here."
Tuesday 17 December 2019 13:42, UK
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he believes everyone should be treated equally but stressed the importance of respecting the law and culture of Club World Cup hosts Qatar.
Klopp's side face Mexican club Monterrey in the semi-finals at the Khalifa International Stadium on Wednesday in Doha.
Approximately 1,000 fans are expected to make the seven-hour flight from the UK, with a further 6,000 supporters expected in Liverpool colours throughout the tournament from elsewhere in the world.
Homosexuality is currently illegal in Qatar but Liverpool have said they have been given assurances by Qatari authorities that their LGBT supporters will be welcomed in the Gulf state.
When asked about his opinion on the situation, Klopp argued he was not the correct person to speak on the matter but outlined his personal support for equality.
"I have an opinion about football and I speak about it," he said.
"I have an opinion about that [politics and equality] as well, but this is a really serious thing to talk about. I really think these answers should be given by people who know more about it and know more about the influence.
"I can be, and think I have to be, kind of influential in football, but in politics, other people have to be influential. Whatever I say about that today would not help the situation. It would just create another headline - positive or negative. That's not how it should work.
"I like that you ask the question but I am sorry, I think I am the wrong person to answer it, like all the other athletes and sportspeople are the wrong ones to answer it. The tournament is organised, we arrive here and are very welcome. Everything is organised as it should be. That is our situation.
"Organising this competition, wherever it is in the world, FIFA did that. Other people who organise it should speak about these things, athletes shouldn't.
"We represent Europe, we represent Liverpool - that's what we do. We are invited, we qualify and so we go there.
"These decisions have to be made beforehand, at the moment for us, everything is fine.
"My personal opinion about homosexuality and all these things? Of course I have an opinion about it, and of course I think we should all be treated equally, that's clear.
"It's easy from another point to talk about these things without being here, seeing things and judging them then."
When asked to give a message to Liverpool fans who may be concerned over travelling, he replied: "My opinion is no more important than yours [the journalist]. I don't think anyone needs to be concerned to come here.
"If you come to a specific country, you can do somethings and some not. We have to respect the rules of different countries, I have to respect the rules of England when I live there, even if it's only a cultural thing. Of course you can come here."
There were some concerns over the fitness of Virgil van Dijk after he trained on his own at Qatar University on Tuesday, but Klopp says he has no concerns over the Dutchman's fitness.
"Gini [Wijnaldum] was not as serious as we thought in the first moment, so he's here doing the first recovery and then we have stuff what is necessary.
"So we will see day by day but for tomorrow night he's not involved.
"Virgil is fine. We had to do different stuff for recovery for different people, so that was the reason why he was not involved yesterday in the session, but Virgil is fine. All the rest of the squad is fine."
Klopp brushed aside concerns over the state of the pitch at the Khalifa International Stadium where his side will play both their matches in the Club World Cup.
The ground will host five matches in as many days after the Reds' matches were switched from the Education City Stadium, which is not ready to stage fixtures yet.
"We spoke to our groundsman who was here. It is in really good condition, the training ground is absolutely brilliant," said Klopp.
"My concern was from England, I've never been here or played football here. The pitches are brilliant, so should not be a proper concern.
"When we arrived on Sunday it was raining hard but our groundsman said it is built on sand so it will suck all the water off so should not be a concern."
