The German top flight was the first major European league to resume amid the Covid-19 pandemic and it provided much happiness to the Liverpool manager
Jurgen Klopp loved seeing the return of the Bundesliga and insists matches behind closed doors can still provide ample nourishment for those craving a football fix.
The German top flight resumed over the weekend and Liverpool manager Klopp said his enjoyment of the spectacle was not dampened by the absence of fans, though he conceded that may be down to him being a “strange person”.
While in an ideal world he would prefer stadiums to be full, Klopp wants people to appreciate the fact football is slowly returning after a prolonged coronavirus-enforced shutdown, and the former Borussia Dortmund coach felt the league in which he used to manage had shown the way forward.
Some things never change pic.twitter.com/FbX4HApdp9
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) May 19, 2020
“Look, I love it,” he told Liverpool’s official website following a weekend of games in his homeland that included a 4-0 win for Dortmund over Schalke.
“In this part I’m a strange person; when I watch football – other games, not our games – I watch them most of the time without sound because I don’t want to hear the commentary, I’m just interested in the game.
“So now for me it’s completely normal to watch other football games. I love the game, I’m interested in what they do and stuff like this.
“I know, football behind closed doors, of course it’s not the same. Why do we have to mention it? We all love it when we have contact, when we get cheered up by the people, when they push us through the yards and all that stuff. We love that but we cannot have it.
“Why would you think always about something you cannot have in the moment? Use the thing you have in the moment.
“It looks like it will be possible – and it is in Germany already possible – to play behind closed doors. And the football games were really good; super goals, real fight, tight games, clear games, clear results, a proper fight.
“Imagine, the first night is a little bit like, ‘Have a look here and there, how will it work, how does it feel?’, but in Germany so many teams play for pretty much everything – they want to stay in the league – and that’s exactly the same what will happen in England.”
On Tuesday it was announced that coronavirus tests carried out on 748 Premier League players and staff returned six positive results across three clubs, with no names disclosed. It is hoped fixtures could recommence in June, with Klopp’s side needing two more wins to claim a first top-flight crown in 30 years.
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