‘I don’t share Klopp’s view at all’ – Wenger defends ‘fantastic’ Club World Cup

Arsene Wenger has rejected Jurgen Klopp’s strong criticism of the expanded Club World Cup, stating that teams, coaches, and players have shown full support for the revamped competition.

Klopp, who left Liverpool earlier this year, described the tournament in June as “the worst idea ever invented.” The new format includes 32 clubs and now takes place during the summer.

But Wenger, working as FIFA’s chief of global football development since 2019, stood firm in defence of the event: “I am going to give a very boring answer to a very interesting question. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and I don’t share the view of Jurgen Klopp at all.”

The former Arsenal boss added: “I feel a Club World Cup is needed. If you make enquiries to all the clubs who were here, then 100% of answers would be that they would want to do it again. That’s the best answer of what the clubs think of a Club World Cup.

“And the decisive question is do the fans like it or not? We believe the attendances were projected as low and in reality were much higher. The answer is there.”

As FIFA prepares for the 2026 World Cup set across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Wenger highlighted the significance of adapting to extreme summer conditions and maintaining pitch quality.

“The heat in some games was a problem, but we tried to combat that with cooling breaks, watering the pitches during the break, and overall I feel we learned a lot on that front,” he explained. “In two different venues, one of them was Orlando.”

He acknowledged challenges with certain stadiums but said permanent real-grass surfaces held up well. “The grass is a bit different here. It’s a bit harsher or more resistant than in other countries.

“The pitches were ‘flat’. But once we watered the grass, everyone was happy.”

Looking forward, he expects fixture scheduling to better match broadcast schedules and weather concerns. Covered stadiums could also help address climate issues.

“I asked our analysts to analyse the impact of the heat. We found heat of over 35C had an impact on high-speed running, so sprints, not distances. You have to be equipped to deal with it,” Wenger added.

This year’s Club World Cup concludes on Sunday as Chelsea takes on Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

WRITTEN BY

George Howson

George Howson is a Futbol Chronicle contributor and accredited journalist with over 20 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, George has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing deep knowledge and first-hand insight to every match report and analysis he writes.

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