Jurgen Klopp has tipped Liverpool to be genuine contenders for the Europa League title.
With the prospect of Champions League qualification through a Premier League finish looking unlikely, the German coach has revealed that he fancies his side’s chances of advancing to the UCL via Europe’s secondary club competition.
Liverpool are nine points off the top four in the EPL, and appear to be finding it hard to demonstrate the consistency required to overhaul those ahead of them in the Premier League.
However, as of the 2014-15 campaign, Europa League winners earn a spot in the Champions League group stage, meaning that the Reds could secure a return to elite continental competition if they can go all the way in the UEL this season.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, ahead of Thursday’s bout against Augsburg, Klopp has insisted that Liverpool ought to be considered genuine contenders for the Europa League.
“A few teams in the world can think about winning the Europa League and I think we are one of these teams,” Klopp began, speaking ahead of the Reds’ last-32 tie [quotes via the Mirror] “we are not one of the clubs that says, ‘We have no chance’.”
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