Go and verify - Ex-Arsenal manager Wenger disagrees with Klopp’s Club World Cup criticism

Arsene Wenger has defended the revamped Club World Cup against criticisms from Jurgen Klopp.

Klopp had labelled the expanded 32-team tournament "the worst idea ever implemented," citing concerns about its impact on the football calendar and player development.

Wenger, FIFA's chief of global soccer development, has a different opinion, stating he believes the Club World Cup is "needed." 

The former Arsenal manager claimed that participating clubs were totally invested in the competition in the United States and would want to compete again.

“I am going to give a very boring answer to a very interesting question. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and I don’t share the view of Jurgen Klopp at all,” Wenger said.

“I feel a Club World Cup is needed. If you make enquiries to all the clubs who were here then 100 percent of answers would be that they would want to do it again. That’s the best answer of what the clubs think of a Club World Cup.

“And the decisive question is, ‘Do the fans like it or not?’ We believe the attendances were projected as low and in reality were much higher. The answer is there.”

Wenger also addressed ongoing issues like pitch quality, defending the overall standards in the US while acknowledging problems at certain venues like Orlando.

“The grass is a bit different here. It’s a bit harsher or more resistant than in other countries. The pitches were ‘flat’. But once we watered the grass, everyone was happy,” he said.

“The heat in some games was a problem but we tried to combat that with cooling breaks, watering the pitches during the break and overall I feel we learned a lot on that front. 

“Certainly, next year in stadiums there will also be more with roofs and the TV times will be more sensitive. At the same time, the weather conditions can be a problem for everybody.”

He confirmed the tournament will remain a quadrennial event, with the next edition scheduled for 2029, and discussed strategies for managing heat, which affected high-speed running in some matches.

“The next edition will be 2029,” Wenger said. “That’s always been the case [rather than to play the Club World Cup every two years]. 

The Club World Cup final between Chelsea and European champions Paris Saint-Germain will be held at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.