Jurgen Klopp has argued that the impact of the coronavirus crisis on German football scheduling gave Bayern Munich a helping hand en route to their success in this year’s Champions League.
The Bundesliga champions came out on top in what was a cagey affair on Sunday evening, with Kingsley Coman heading home the only goal of the game just before the hour-mark at Benfica’s Estadio da Luz.
It meant Bayern finished the season with an incredible 21-match winning streak stretching back to mid-February and head coach Hansi Flick has been widely praised for the impact he’s made since taking over the reins from Niko Kovac.
In a interview with ZDF, Klopp – once manager of Bayern’s rivals Borussia Dortmund – congratulated the club on their season but suggested they got a ‘little lucky’ in the Champions League, as Liverpool were forced to surrender their European crown.
After all, Bayern were fortunate enough to play 14 matches between German football restarting and the Champions League final. The premature end to the Ligue 1 season meant PSG only played four matches between July 24 and their trip to Lisbon.
‘It is difficult to write more history in eight months,’ the Liverpool manager said of Bayern’s triumph.
‘Germany has also been a little lucky that, amid all the chaos with schedules, their schedule was best suited to the Champions League.
‘At the moment they are definitely one of the absolute, absolute top teams. They are sensationally well equipped.
‘They have absolute world-class players in every position, and all at the right age.’
Klopp insists his Liverpool side will be hungrier than ever to repeat their successes of the last two seasons when the new campaign comes around.
‘It was like this for us: Premier League over, take a short two-week break and then the next worries come,’ he added.
‘How do you hit the ground running next season?’
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