Perhaps Jurgen Klopp and his coaching staff would prefer to go somewhere where they can be with the players in peace and prepare for a new season as much as possible. This is how they have done during the pandemic. Last year he spent an entire month in training camps in Austria and France, and there wasn’t much commercial consideration to take.
This is not the case this year, so the first trip goes to Thailand to face Manchester United in a training match, before Crystal Palace is the opponent in Singapore a few days later. Here there will be a lot more pressure and attention on the players than there was last year. But nevertheless, Klopp and his teammates made sure that football was also the focus here, and not to please the sponsors.
That wasn’t the case many years ago, when players had to make Subway baguettes for lucky fans, something Mamadou Sakho and Gordon Ibe had the pleasure of trying in Kuala Lumpur in the summer of 2015. Now, fortunately, the Subway days are over.
Football in focus
James Pierce I the athlete He understands that Klopp has gradually gained a lot of influence when it comes to what Liverpool’s pre-season should look like, and it shows in the lead up to this year. The trip to Asia is of course of commercial importance, but it only lasts for a week, before the trip that went last year to Austria for extensive training and practice matches.
“United, by comparison, travel from Thailand to Australia to play three more matches in two weeks. It will provide a good income, but whether their new coach Erik ten Hag will benefit from it as he tries to bring his ideas into the new season is another matter,” Pearce wrote.
For their part, Liverpool have tried to find the balance between taking a trip to a continent where it is popular with supporters and sponsors, and making sure players are prepared for a long new season.
Sending former players
One measure is to make the residency period shorter than it used to be, but it is also planned that players will receive far fewer assignments to sponsors off the field than before.
Instead, the club sends some of its former players to events attended by local supporters and sponsors. Luis Garcia, Jose Enrique, Jason McAteer, Sami Hypia and Vladimir Smeiser will be booked for the Asia Tour.
“With the success he’s had, Klopp has earned the right to have a say in what pre-season should look like. Decisions are not made in the boardroom with an eye on profits. If that’s the case, then Liverpool’s tour will certainly go on for much longer – what Just look at the offers around the world that they turned down,” Pearce writes.
It also adds another element that could benefit Klopp, which is that the squad is already set. There doesn’t seem to be any more players coming, and if anyone disappears, there are likely to be credits. From now until the end of the season, it’s just about harassing the team as much as possible.
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