Jurgen Klopp has come under fire from Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol after the former Liverpool manager branded the expanded Club World Cup as football’s “worst idea ever.”

Klopp, now head of global soccer at Red Bull, made the controversial remarks during a conference in Germany, where he criticised FIFA’s tournament expansion and warned of dire consequences for player welfare. “People who have never had anything to do with day-to-day business are coming up with ideas,” Klopp said. “I fear that next season players will suffer injuries they’ve never had before.”

In response, Solhekol hit back strongly, reminding Klopp that Red Bull Salzburg — part of Red Bull’s football empire — participated in the tournament and benefitted financially. Salzburg reportedly earned between £20m and £40m simply for taking part.

“Not everyone agrees with Jurgen Klopp,” Solhekol said. “If you don’t like the Club World Cup, don’t watch it. Everybody can do what they want. You can play padel, you can go for a swim. You can watch something else on TV, maybe watch Netflix. Go for a walk, go for a nice meal.”

He continued: “The Chelsea owners are delighted that they’re here, and they’re delighted that they’re making a lot of money. Just by reaching this stage of the competition, they’ve probably made something like £40m. In this era of PSR and FFP, where revenue is so important, they are embracing this tournament.”

Solhekol also noted Manchester City’s satisfaction with their participation, adding: “Pep Guardiola seems to be a completely different man from the stressed, intense figure we see during the Premier League.”

Questioning Klopp’s apparent contradiction, Solhekol asked: “Jurgen Klopp is a very senior figure at Red Bull. Does he have a problem with RB Salzburg playing in this competition?”

He concluded: “Let’s get real — what would these clubs be doing if they weren’t playing here? When their players came back from holiday, they’d be coming to America and the Far East on pre-season tours. Unfortunately, football is not just a sport anymore. Whether you like it or not, football is a business. If you don’t like it, don’t watch it.”