'It was absolutely tough' - Jurgen Klopp reflects on FSG's plan to put Liverpool in Super League

Jurgen Klopp has detailed how news of the Super League affected preparation for the visit to Leeds United last month.

It was revealed late in the evening on Sunday April 18 that Liverpool were one of 12 to have agreed to take part in a brand new European competition that aimed to ring fence its 'Founding Clubs' every season, regardless of their domestic performance.

The news, which came out less than 24 hours before the Reds' travelled to Leeds for a crucial game for their top-four hopes, were widely condemned.

Within 48 hours, the Premier League clubs whose owners had signed up for the hugely controversial plans had withdrawn with Liverpool owner John W Henry later giving a public apology via video.

The Reds' trip to Elland Road, however, was undertaken at a time when they were still part of the Super League, which led to several questions over whether Klopp and his players would even need to win the game if their participation in the new lucrative competition was already secure.

Klopp and his players - who all disagreed with the Super League idea - only learned of the plans on Sunday and were understood to have met in the team's hotel on Monday to discuss the next steps.

In an interview with the Anfield Wrap, Klopp explained just why he was so against the ESL and why he was placed in a difficult spot as he prepared to field questions about it before and after the 1-1 draw with Leeds last month.

"It's the truth [I was never told beforehand] and I had a game that day and I am a pretty focused guy, so when we have a game I am in this mood and focused on that," Klopp said.

"Of course then you have to think about it and you don't have a lot of time before you give your answers in public and all this.

"I said thank God that I said already two years ago what I think about it so that didn't change.

"I was raised in Germany with not the same ownership system [as England], but the same football system with promotion and relegation and I enjoyed it for 53 years or 47 years since I can think, so for me it is completely normal that I love the underdogs succeeding and all these kinds of things.

"I am long enough in the business to know that other things are important as well and it is not always possible that we do the romantic stuff, I accept that definitely.

"But at this moment it was absolutely tough to talk about it because obviously whatever we say on air will create big stories.

"I knew from the first moment that we have to be careful what we say because it could cause trouble and that is what happened."

Klopp also revealed how he told UEFA of his disapproval to changes to the Champions League format earlier this year.

The governing body of European football are aiming to expand their premier competition to include more games during the campaign.

For the 2024/25 season, teams will play four matches more than is currently the case under the new format, which is something the Liverpool boss vehemently opposes.

He added: "The Super League is something different but now with UEFA, they showed me the new Champions League and they explained it for one-and-a-half hours and I said that it is more games, I don't like it, it's not possible.

"But they say: 'yes of course, we will see what we do with the English cup competitions...' Good luck with that.

"So it is just that they ask us but the answer is not really relevant because it's like in life, if you get a question and you answer in the way that the other guy wants to hear it...it's a great answer (thumbs up).

"If it's the other way around then ignore it, pretty much."