Wenger Defends 'fantastic' Club World Cup

Arsene Wenger has responded to Jurgen Klopp's claims that nan Club World Cup is "the worst thought ever invented", saying teams are successful favour of nan "fantastic competition".

Former Liverpool head Klopp criticised nan tournament successful June, which has been moved to nan summertime and expanded to 32 teams.

However, ex-Arsenal head Wenger, now Fifa's main of world shot development, said nan Club World Cup has nan afloat support of nan teams, players and managers involved.

When asked astir Klopp's comments, Wenger said: "I americium going to springiness a very boring reply to a very absorbing question. Everyone is entitled to an sentiment and I don't stock nan position of Jurgen Klopp astatine all.

"I consciousness a Club World Cup is needed. If you make enquiries to each nan clubs who were present past 100% of answers would beryllium that they would want to do it again. That's nan champion reply of what nan clubs deliberation of a Club World Cup.

"And nan decisive mobility is do nan fans for illustration it aliases not? We judge nan attendances were projected arsenic debased and successful reality were overmuch higher. The reply is there."

Fifa is besides readying to study lessons successful really to woody pinch nan power and amended nan pitches earlier nan pan-North American World Cup successful 2026, which will person astir of its games successful nan United States.

"The power successful immoderate games was a problem but we tried to combat that pinch cooling breaks, watering nan pitches during nan break and wide I consciousness we learned a batch connected that front," Wenger said.

"In 2 different venues [there was a problem], 1 of them was Orlando. But we shouldn't underestimate nan value of nan imperishable [real grass] pitches.

"The writer is simply a spot different here. It's a spot harsher aliases much resistant than successful different countries. The pitches were 'flat'. But erstwhile we watered nan grass, everyone was happy.

"Certainly adjacent twelvemonth successful stadiums location will besides beryllium much pinch roofs and nan TV times will beryllium much sensitive. At nan aforesaid time, nan upwind conditions tin beryllium a problem for everybody.

"I asked our analysts to analyse nan effect of nan heat. We recovered power of complete 35C had an effect connected high-speed running, truthful sprints, not distances. You person to beryllium equipped to woody pinch it. "

Chelsea look Paris St-Germain successful nan last of nan title astatine MetLife Stadium successful New Jersey connected Sunday.