Klopp, Nagelsmann decry FIFA's plans for biennial World Cups

LONDON (AP) — Jürgen Klopp seems sure why FIFA is so determined to gain support for World Cups every two years, and he's not pleased by apparent financial motivations.

“In the end,” the Liverpool manager said Friday, “it’s all about money, that’s how it is.”

Across in Germany, Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann was as concerned about the impact on FIFA's flagship events if the frequency was doubled.

“I’m no friend of that,” Nagelsmann said. “On the one hand, it affects the overload on players and there’s a devaluation of the World Cup. If it takes place more often, it doesn’t have the same significance.”

That's the type of dissent Arsene Wenger hasn't highlighted in presentations to media this week during what FIFA calls a consultation process. The former Arsenal manager, in his role as FIFA’s chief of global football development, is advancing a vision that so concerns two of the game's current great coaches.

Klopp is a respected figure in FIFA. Just three weeks ago, Klopp was being honored by FIFA, receiving the men's coach of the year award from Wenger.

“There’s not another sport in world I’m sure with such a relentless calendar, no physical sport,” Klopp said. “There are more demanding sports in the world, like athletics, marathon runs, all kind of things of course. But they don’t run 20, 30 or 40 a year, of course not and other physical sports don’t have this calendar.

“We all know why it’s happening whatever people say that it is about giving different countries the opportunity, that’s why we have more teams in the World Cup.”

But ultimately Klopp sees those political arguments as a mask for attempts to generate more cash for FIFA.

“That’s fine,” he said. "We do it not because of money but because we love it....