Klopp flattered to win FIFA's manager of the year award

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VIDEO SHOWS: NEWS CONFERENCE WITH LIVERPOOL MANAGER JUERGEN KLOPP / FILE FOOTAGE OF LIVERPOOL TRAINING

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (DECEMBER 8, 2020) (UEFA - NO RESALES. NO COMMERCIAL USE. MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY "©UEFA 2020".)

1. LIVERPOOL STRIKERS, ROBERTO FIRMINO (NUMBER 9 / WOOLLY HAT), DIOGO JOTA (NUMBER 20), AND MIDFIELDER, ALEX OXLADE CHAMBERLAIN (NUMBER 15), AMONG PLAYERS WARMING UP AT TRAINING SESSION

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (DECEMBER 18, 2020) (LIVERPOOL FC - ACCESS ALL)

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER JUERGEN KLOPP SAYING:

"Yeah, I'm grateful for it obviously. For us for this moment I was like everybody else I was like looking a little bit wide-eyed. I didn't expect it, not at all. I thought Hansi Flick won pretty much everything in the last year, that that would be the case. I want to be there because I wanted to show respect because it was last year in Milan, and when it was really nice event. (Mauricio) Pochettino was there as well, and this kind of stuff so I thought that night if I will be nominated again, I will show up. Even if I have no chance to win it."

3. WHITE FLASH

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER JUERGEN KLOPP SAYING:

"Now I'm happy about it to be honest, it's a special thing for my coaches and me. I saw them now already they are buzzing and actually if you would have asked me are you the world best coach I would have said 'no'. If you would have asked me, do you have the world's best coaches around you, I would have said yes. So we take the award like this it's it's all good today are more important things in the world. But it's a nice one."

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (DECEMBER 8, 2020) (UEFA - NO RESALES. NO COMMERCIAL USE. MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY "©UEFA 2020".)

5. LIVERPOOL MIDFIELDER, GEORGINO WIJNALDUM (NUMBER 5) AND JOTA AT TRAINING

6. LIVERPOOL STRIKER, MOHAMED SALAH (NUMBER 11) TRAINING

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (DECEMBER 18, 2020) (LIVERPOOL FC - ACCESS ALL)

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER JUERGEN KLOPP SAYING ON PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS VOTING AGAINST FIVE SUBSTITUTES:

"And you have to ask other people. There were 10 clubs, and everybody knows the 10 clubs which voted against it, against the thing, which was not about the competition which was not about advantages or stuff like that it, it was only about player welfare. And and they voted against it pretty much only them voted against it in Europe, the world if I'm right. So I don't know what percentage of leagues who have now five subs. I don't know exactly because I don't know about leagues out of Europe, in Europe all the leagues have it. And I think there must be a good reason for it and in all these leagues they are this competition. So in all these league every club wants to stay in the League, every club wants to win sometimes wants to win the League, but for sure all of them want to stay in the League. But here is the only country, pretty much the only league, because the championship decided differently where we do it differently. It's not me to give an answer, you have to ask the others, and I will I will try to catch up with all the articles to write about that if you do that."

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (DECEMBER 8, 2020) (UEFA - NO RESALES. NO COMMERCIAL USE. MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY "©UEFA 2020".)

8. TRAINING IN PROGRESS

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (DECEMBER 18, 2020) (LIVERPOOL FC - ACCESS ALL)

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER JUERGEN KLOPP SAYING:

"Very. Just because of the talent of the group and so I have to say. So result is one thing and it's very important for the specific clubs, but for me, it's much more important what kind of performance level they are capable of, and that's impressive, I have to say. But if you go through the ranks the strikers they have in the squad, now the play with (Wilfried) Zaha and (Christian) Benteke and Benteke had the red card. But on the bench in that moment is (Jordan) Ayew which was one of the main players last year and (Michy) Batshuayi, so they made good signing with (Eberechi) Eze, a really good, talented boy. It gives them the freedom to put Zaha a little bit higher up on the pitch because maybe similar profile the two boys. And very experienced last line made (Cheick) Kouyate now a centre half, Mamadou Sakho is injured so they could even rotate I think. (Gary) Cahill and, who else was not even in the squad for the last game which will play 100% ...(Jeffrey) Schlupp. And Cahill and Schlupp were rested for the game against us. So it just shows you how confident they are and how comfortable the situation they have and so I'm impressed about the performance level they are able to play. But consistency I have nothing to do and don't know exactly about that, but they look good, they look sharp, so will be a tough one."

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (DECEMBER 8, 2020) (UEFA - NO RESALES. NO COMMERCIAL USE. MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY "©UEFA 2020".)

10. LIVERPOOL CAPTAIN JORDAN HENDERSON TRAINING

STORY: Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp expressed his delight at winning FIFA's coach of the year award on Thursday - but was once again left scratching his head after Premier League clubs voted against allowing five substitutes per side in each game, despite the condensed schedule.

The German, who was crowned by FIFA as the best coach in men's football on Thursday, has been a vocal critic of the league's reluctance to introduce the measure, which has been widely adopted the world over.

"I don't want to create headlines, everyone knows my opinion," Klopp told a news conference ahead of Saturday's trip to Crystal Palace.

"You have to ask other people about it. There are 10 clubs who voted against it and everyone knows who those clubs are. They voted against something that was not about the competition, not about advantages, only about player welfare and they voted against it.

"Pretty much only them voted against it in Europe, even the world, if I'm right.

"There must be a good reason for it. In all these leagues there's competition, every club wants to win the league or stay up. This is the only league - not even country, as the Championship decided to do it - who doesn't do it."

Champions Liverpool sit top of the Premier League on 28 points despite having won just once away from home this season, a run that includes a lacklustre 1-1 draw at Fulham last weekend.

Klopp, however, said he is not worried by his side's form on the road. The German could be missing up to eight first teamers through injury for the trip to London, said that midfielders Thiago Alcantara, James Milner and Xherdan Shaqiri were all close to resuming full training but would sit out on Saturday.

(Production: Iain Axon)