In an interview with the German newspaper Die Welt, former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp criticized the new FIFA Club World Cup to be held by FIFA this summer, calling it "the worst idea in the history of football".
Klopp said: "This (the Club World Cup) is the worst idea in the history of football. People who have never been involved in, or are no longer involved in, the daily affairs of football came up with such an idea on a whim.
"Last year there was the Copa América and the European Championship, this year there is the Club World Cup, and next year there is the World Cup again. This means that players cannot truly rest, both physically and mentally."
Klopp also predicted that there could be "a large number of player injuries" next season. He said: "This situation cannot continue. We must ensure that players have enough rest time, because if they don't get rest, in the long run, they won't be able to guarantee their best performance, and this will make the product of football lose its value for the sellers."
Klopp also compared NBA players with football players. He added, "Of course, they all earn a lot of money. But let's put that aside for a moment. A well - paid NBA player has four months of rest every year. Yet Virgil van Dijk hasn't even had such a long vacation throughout his entire career. Tournaments like the Club World Cup shouldn't be held at the expense of players' interests. I don't want anyone to go through such a thing."