- Title: Klopp welcomes Minamino to team, debates changes to VAR
- Date: 1st January 2020
- Summary: LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (JANUARY 1, 2020) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL COACH JUERGEN KLOPP, ON HIS CLUB'S EXPECTED ACTIVITY ON JANUARY TRANSFER MARKET, SAYING: "I know it, I think every year we have the same situation, if people ask me if I want to buy a centre half I would say 'yes'. (But) in 2 weeks? 'No'. Because then they are all back and it's like this, so it's always tricky and so we probably will not be too busy in the transfer window, we will see what happens, but it's unlikely." DOHA, QATAR (RECENT - DECEMBER 16, 2019) (REUTERS) MO SALAH PASSING A BALL AND JOGGING TRAINING UNDERWAY LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (JANUARY 1, 2020) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL COACH JUERGEN KLOPP, ON VAR, SAYING: "So we want to have clear clarifications and right decisions, and it's very good with offsides we get them now, the only problem is it takes like what feels like half an hour until you see if the toe-nail is there or not. But that's offside, so we have to make a decision about it, and when we had the manager's meeting in Nyon, in Geneva, we spoke about that. UEFA came up with the idea that we just make the line thicker so I think for me, I didn't think it 100 percent through but hopefully other people did that, but for me it gave us a little bit of football back because how I learned offside it was (favourable when) in doubt for the offensive player. At the moment, all these situations where we have offsides now are to our favour against Wolves or against Aston Villa where we were the wrong side of it, it's in favour of the defensive line." DOHA, QATAR (RECENT - DECEMBER 16, 2019) (REUTERS) PLAYERS STRETCHING
- Embargoed: 15th January 2020 15:20
- Keywords: Juergen Klopp Liverpool Premier League Takumi Minamino
- Location: LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK / DOHA, QATAR
- City: LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK / DOHA, QATAR
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA005BUCCC3J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp said on Wednesday (January 1) latest signing Takumi Minamino was welcomed with open arms by teammates as he hopes he can quickly settle in with the league leaders.
The Japanese playmaker, 24, put pen to paper days in the week leading up to Christmas as he moved over from Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg.
The attacking midfielder has scored nine goals in 22 matches in all competitions this season and impressed Liverpool when the teams met in the Champions League group stage.
Klopp said he wasn't expecting any major additions to the squad during the January transfer window, as his team looks ahead to facing Sheffield United at Anfield on Thursday (January 2).
The German coach weighed in on the recent controversies surrounding VAR decisions ruling goals offside for minimal infringements. Klopp said he supported making the virtual lines used by VAR to judge a player's position to become thicker, returning the doubts to favour the attacking team and opening up the game.
Klopp's side are running away with what would be their first league title since the 1989-1990 season. They sit on top of the standings with 55 points, at least 10 points ahead of their nearest rivals.
(Production: Mussab Al-Khairalla) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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