“I laughed because it’s a tough group!” - Jurgen Klopp reacts to Liverpool’s UCL draw

Jurgen Klopp expressed his excitement about Liverpool’s 2021-22 Champions League campaign after they discovered their group stage opponents on Thursday (August 26). The Reds were drawn in Group B alongside Atletico Madrid, FC Porto and AC Milan during the draw in Istanbul.

Offering his immediate reaction at Liverpool’s training center, Klopp in the interview said:

“I laughed, to be honest, pretty loud because it is a tough group obviously. It's [the] Champions League, so that's how it is, and you have to play the best teams in Europe, and obviously some of them are in our group!”

Jurgen Klopp on the UCL draw:“I laughed, to be honest, pretty loud because it is a tough group obviously. It's Champions League, so that's how it is, and you have to play the best teams in Europe, and obviously some of them are in our group!” #awlive [lfc] pic.twitter.com/GKO6gjYD97

— Anfield Watch (@AnfieldWatch) August 26, 2021

Klopp spoke about each opponent, saying:

“We played, I don't know how often, already against Porto, so they will be waiting for us. We have obviously a little bit of [an] open bill with Atletico, and AC Milan, a historical one obviously. So, I think our supporters should be looking forward to it – we do, for sure.”

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Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool are ambitious about the Champions League and are ready for the group stages

Liverpool players in action

Jurgen Klopp said they obviously did not get the easiest draw possible, but everyone at Liverpool is still very ambitious. The German believes his side would like to show that their hard work in the Premier League last year to qualify for the Champions League was worth it.

“I know that people always sit at home and think, 'Ah come on, that would be cool, then you have this team together and the worst of pot four and the worst of pot one’ and all this kind of stuff. So, we didn't get that obviously but we're still pretty ambitious and would like to show the really hard work from last year, qualifying for the Champions League, that it was worth it. That's how we will play the games.”

The group stages of the Champions League begin next month and are scheduled to conclude early in December. The final fixture details are to be confirmed soon.

Klopp was also asked how his squad will cope with the busy schedule and all the matches in different competitions. He replied by saying Liverpool have a good team irrespective of who is playing.

Champions League draw pots ✅🤔 What's the best group you can make? #UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/NFgXYnnf7r

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 26, 2021

Klopp said:

“We have a good team whoever is playing, that's how it is. But it's not that we play in the Champions League and have a look at who can play in the Champions League and then who can then play in the Premier League. No, we try to bring the best team always on the pitch – and that can have some probably physical reasons sometimes, and sometimes shape reasons.”

The German manager added that Liverpool will definitely need their squad for the whole year and hopes that will be the case.

“we need the squad definitely for the whole year, that's definitely the case. But now thinking about these games, my first idea was not to think about rotation or whatever, it's about playing football and [to] go for it,” Jurgen Klopp concluded.