Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has given his support to the Premier League's plans to finish the season as the Reds look to clinch the title.
The Merseyside club only need two wins, or six points, to be crowned top flight champions for the first time since 1990.
Klopp has told the Liverpool FC website that he's been itching to get back to the training ground.
"I was over the moon, I would say. I couldn’t wait for a while now, so I am really happy that we are able to do this again – going back to Melwood, having small group training and stuff like this. It will be intense, for the coaches especially because a lot of players in small groups means a lot of sessions, but we’ve had enough time to rest so we will be fine. Can’t wait. We had to do the testing this week – the COVID testing – and we have to still wait for the results. If they are all negative – which would be positive – then we can start with the full group, pretty much. It’s a great day when they finally decided to do so, I always said we don’t want to rush anything, but I don’t think it is rushed. It is for the first step, for this kind of social distancing training and we have five players."
The Premier League will closely observe the model of the Bundesliga as to how to return to competitive action without crowds present.
Yesterday, there were six positive coronavirus tests from the 748 carried out in the Premier League on Sunday and Monday.
Klopp believes the template of the Bundesliga's return shows that it will be possible to finish the English season and he's fully embracing the unusual conditions in very unusual times.
"Look, I love it. In this part I’m a strange person; when I watch football – other games, not our games – I watch them most of the time without sound because I don’t want to hear the commentary, I’m just interested in the game. So now for me it’s completely normal to watch other football games. I love the game, I’m interested in what they do and stuff like this. It’s 100 per cent, the perfect package of football is a full, packed Anfield stadium, two really good teams, big fight, super goals and at the end Liverpool win. That’s the perfect matchday. So, a lot of these things are possible but Anfield will not be packed for a while. So that’s what we have to accept, that’s the only thing. I know, football behind closed doors, of course it’s not the same. Why do we have to mention it? We all love it when we have contact, when we get cheered up by the people, when they push us through the yards and all that stuff. We love that but we cannot have it. Why would you think always about something you cannot have in the moment? Use the thing you have in the moment.
"It looks like it will be possible – and it is in Germany already possible – to play behind closed doors. And the football games were really good; super goals, real fight, tight games, clear games, clear results, a proper fight. Imagine, the first night is a little bit like, ‘Have a look here and there, how will it work, how does it feel?’ But in Germany so many teams play for pretty much everything – they want to stay in the league – and that’s exactly the same what will happen in England."
