‘They go there to play football’ – Jurgen Klopp believes it’s wrong to expect players to protest while at Qatar World Cup

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Jurgen Klopp has explained that it’s wrong to expect players to protest while competing at the Qatar World Cup.

The controversial tournament will begin later this month and will be held during European winter time for the first time ever.

With the host nation’s questionable human right’s record and strict rules surrounding topics such as homosexuality and alcohol laws, since 2010 there’s been huge outrage surrounding the decision to let Qatar host the tournament.

Some captains of the nations competing have agreed to wear armbands bearing the message ‘One Love’, but the Liverpool boss believes criticism should be pointed at FIFA and the people that awarded the right to host the tournament to the Gulf nation.

“I don’t like that we expect [the players] now to do something. They go there to play football,” the Liverpool boss told Sky News (via 90MIN).

“It’s not about this generation’s players to say now that, ‘We don’t go, or we don’t do that.’ The decision [to hold the World Cup in Qatar] was made by other people, and if you want to criticise anybody, criticise the people who made the decision.”

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Numerous Liverpool stars such as Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Darwin Nunez are expected to compete in the tournament with the final set to take place on December 18.

Diogo Jota has been ruled out of the tournament with the hamstring injury he sustained during our victory over Manchester City last month in what is a huge blow for the Portugal star.

Premier League action will resume on Boxing Day when the Reds travel to Villa Park to face Aston Villa – let’s hope that our No. 20 and Luis Diaz will be back fit and raring to go by then.

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