Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says he can understand Jurgen Klopp's criticism of the new Club World Cup format, which he admits could "destroy" his players at some point in the 2025/26 season. Former Liverpool manager Klopp said recently that it was a "pointless" tournament and called it the "worst idea ever implemented in football".

During an interview with German publication Die Welt published on Friday, Klopp said the tournament “ the worst idea ever implemented ” in the sport. The new format now features a 32-team event, which occurs every four years during the preseason in the summers between the major international tournaments.

Klopp was speaking in relation to developing players, the volume of matches they play and the likelihood of increased injury risk.