FLORENTINO Perez, the Real Madrid president, left onlookers in no doubt that he is eager to resurrect the aborted European Super League at the Spanish giants’ annual general meeting on Sunday when he declared “our sport is sick”.
Perez, who was one of the driving forces behind the controversial failed bid to form a breakaway competition last year, stated the continent’s biggest clubs needed to play each other on a “year-round” basis in order to solve the game’s ills.
His words left football supporters far and wide feeling slightly nauseous.
But the Champions League match between Liverpool and Rangers at Anfield this evening should provide the perfect antidote.
Jurgen Klopp has been involved in games against all of European football’s behemoths during his long and exceptional managerial career. However, the prospect of his side taking on Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team still excites him.
The German is aware that Liverpool last played opponents from this country in this competition way back in 1980 when they brushed aside Aberdeen – they won the first leg 1-0 away and triumphed 4-0 at home - in the second round and is eagerly anticipating the encounter.
“I heard that there is no games with Scottish sides in 42 years,” he said. “It might be very special for sure.”
It was heartening to hear him dismiss Perez’s comments – which raised the unpalatable prospect of a fresh push for a European Super League being launched by out-of-touch owners who care more about their income streams than the wishes of their loyal paying customers - when he spoke yesterday at his pre-match press conference ahead of the Group A fixture on Merseyside.
“I have no opinion about that, didn’t think about it for a second, not interested too much about it in the moment as you can imagine,” he said. “Improve football? I think we should play less games to improve football to be honest. Give the people more time to train, that would improve football. Yeah, how’s that?
“I actually think that it is very nice that we don’t play the same teams all the time. It is refreshing. it is great for Rangers. There will be a great atmosphere here, there will be a great atmosphere there. Definitely, people should enjoy that.”
If James Tavernier and his team mates manage to get a result, even a draw, against the six-time champions away from home tonight they will underline that Rangers belong at the very highest level in Europe.
Yet, Klopp, whose team has failed to scale the heights of last season in recent weeks and go into the match on the back of a disappointing Premier League draw with Brighton at Anfield on Saturday, already believes they do.
He revealed that he followed their fortunes closely during the three seasons that Reds legend Steven Gerrard, who was something of a protégé, was in charge in Govan and had marvelled at their remarkable run to the Europa League final last term under Van Bronckhorst.
“Good football team, well coached, exceptional European season last year,” he said when asked to assess the Ibrox side. “Qualifying for the Champions League is a big, big, big achievement obviously.
“When Stevie was there I monitored it closely and at least had a look at the results at the weekend. He enjoyed the job a lot there and was very successful. It was a big career move when he went there from Liverpool. Since he went to Villa? Not any more.
“But I think it (Scottish football) has increased a lot. Rangers and Celtic are obviously the stand-out teams in the league, that’s not news. But Rangers’ run in Europe last year was exceptional.
“The Dortmund games were just really good (German rivals Borussia were beaten over two legs in the play-off round). Especially the home game. You saw how the atmosphere can give you the edge so it was really impressive.
“Celtic are doing really well and the Scotland game is full of talent. We have another Scottish boy in Calvin (Ramsay) and another big talent in the under-18s (Ben Doak), so it’s a cool place to scout again. That’s a good sign for Scottish football.”
Klopp knows all about the capabilities of two English players who should be in the Rangers starting line-up this evening – centre half Ben Davies and winger Ryan Kent were both signed from Liverpool for multi-million pound fees.
Davies has hardly featured for Van Bronckhorst since moving to Ibrox in the summer. But the defender returned in the 4-0 win over Hearts at Tynecastle on Saturday and should feature if fit. Can he shore up a rearguard that conceded seven goals in their previous outings against Ajax and Napoli. His former manager suspects he will make a difference.
“He’s a new player coming into a new club,” he said. “But he’s a really good footballer. Good build, good footballer. In our situation it didn’t work out for him here (Davies failed to make a single start under him), but that doesn’t make him a bad player, not at all.
“Ben is a good boy and that’s what Rangers wanted and that’s what they got. They were looking for a left footed centre half and they got it. He can play different systems, which is important, as Rangers have played one and a half games using five at the back in the Champions League.
“Usually they don’t, but he can play both formations which makes him a really valuable option for a squad so I think they’re happy.”
The 2,000-strong travelling Rangers support will be overjoyed if their heroes can take advantage of Liverpool’s dip in form, pull off an upset at Anfield and highlight they can hold their own alongside the cream of European football.
