Jurgen Klopp claims it's not fair to expect players to speak out against Qatar World Cup

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Jurgen Klopp claims it's not fair to expect players to speak out against Qatar World Cup

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said it is unfair to expect players to speak out against Qatar and the problems surrounding the upcoming 2022 World Cup.

This month’s tournament has been a topic of major controversy ever since the World Cup was awarded to the Gulf nation way back in 2010.

Qatar’s human rights record, worker conditions and criminalised homosexuality are among the most concerning problems as the world prepare to descend on the country. But even things like local alcohol laws – Budweiser is a long-term major World Cup partner, the readiness of accommodation, and even the tiny geographic size of the host area have also seen questions asked.

England captain Harry Kane is among a number of national team skippers who will wear a ‘One Love’ armband during the tournament promoting an anti-discrimination campaign. But such a gesture has been criticised for not going far enough to tackle the wider issue.

For Klopp, it shouldn’t be down to players to feel they have to speak up about non-sporting things.

"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.

"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."

The World Cup, a first ever to take place during a northern hemisphere winter, will begin on 20 November when Qatar take on Ecuador. The final will be played just shy of a month later on 18 December.