Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has insisted that his side are not going to be passengers in the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League.
The Reds fell short of a top-four finish in the Premier League last season, which earned them a place in the Europa League. For many, it was a failure of sorts as they are three-time finalists from the last five UEFA Champions League seasons.
The last time they were in Europe’s second-tier cup competition was in Klopp’s first season after he signed on to replace Brendan Rodgers. They would go all the way to the final of that season’s edition under Klopp but fall to Sevilla, who are to the Europa League what Real Madrid is to the Champions League.
Since then, they have gone on to become one of the most dominant sides in the Champions League but after a poor outing in the 2022/23 Premier League season, they are back in the competition that started Klopp’s run to immortality at Anfield.
Their first opponents are Austrian Bundesliga side LASK and the German tactician has stated that he will play with his best teams against them and all other opponents that come their way in the competition. He stated that his aim is to win it and not field second-stringers like many clubs of similar repute tend to do in the competition.
Klopp was speaking at the pre-match press conference in Austria ahead of the LASK-Liverpool game when he made these comments.
“We are here to compete”’ said Klopp. “Not to give opportunities. I know we are favourites but we are here to play football, we take this game seriously and we want to take the most of it.”
“The stadium is wonderful, it opened in February, we are not arrogant but we want to compete and win here.”
Klopp was then asked about his last appearance in the Europa League in which he finished as a runner-up. The former Borussia Dortmund manager stated that he felt that the team at his disposal at the time were ill-equipped for the competition and that it was not much of a surprise to him that they did not win.
“I thought the Europa League was a bit much for us that year,” he said. “We had to fly to Russia, long travel and trips to try to become a team somehow. The results helped of course. We played in Switzerland on a frozen pitch. We were not ready but we came somehow through, we played outstandingly well.”
“But I don’t think we were exceptional that year. I would not compare it. We are better prepared. We enjoy it more to be here than we did that time. I am excited by the potential we have.”
“It’s not about what we’ve got, but what we make of it. You can see the spirit – something is growing. The squad enjoys spending time together outside. We will use it, and channel it into the game.”
