Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said it is “not fair” to expect footballers to make political statements ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.
Speaking at a ceremony where he received the Freedom of Liverpool award on Thursday, Klopp said he doesn’t like the “expectation” put on players.
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However, Klopp said that it was “absolutely fine” and a “good thing” for England captain Harry Kane to wear the One Love armband, in support of LGBTQ+ rights.
“I don’t like that we expect [the players] now to do something. They go there to play football,” Klopp told Sky News on Wednesday.
“It’s not about this generation’s players to say now that ‘we don’t go, or we don’t do that.’
“The decision [to hold the tournament in Qatar] was made by other people, and if you want to criticise anybody, criticise the people who made the decision.”
Klopp’s comments follow several calls from advocacy groups for players to speak up on Qatar’s record on human rights, alleged mistreatment of migrant workers and treatment of the LGBTQ+ community.
German manager Klopp became the only foreign national to be awarded the Freedom of Liverpool apart from Nelson Mandela.