Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp to take legal advice before deciding whether to play Joel MatipDefender could yet feature at Plymouth Argyle in FA Cup as FIFA row rumbles on
Jurgen Klopp will take legal advice before deciding whether to field Joel Matip against Plymouth Argyle – even though Liverpool have no idea what possible punishment they could face from FIFA.The Reds expect to be informed on Friday if the world governing body are to open a disciplinary investigation into Matip’s refusal to play for Cameroon at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.
Liverpool took the decision to not consider the fit-again centre-back for Sunday’s Premier League trip to Manchester United for fear of potential repercussions.Klopp, though, has hinted Matip could be involved in the FA Cup third round replay at Plymouth Argyle on Wednesday night, having held talks with Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group and head of legal Jonathan Bamber.
“Of course I need advice, I’m not a lawyer,” said the Reds boss. “But the decision is for me to make.
“I could put him in the line-up, I don’t think referee is going to say ‘stop, stop, you cannot go on the pitch’.
“We have had a lot of talks over the days and weeks. We’ve done transfers quicker than this!“It’s already long-term, but now it’s getting really tense on our side. We’ve tried everything, but at the end I have to make the decision.”
Of any likely sanctions from FIFA for playing Matip, Klopp explained: “We don’t know. It’s not 100% clear what happens (if we play him).“You have to decide about risk. But he’d only been in training three or four days back in training and he’d have been on the bench (at United) rather than the starting line-up.
“Because we play Plymouth, maybe not the highest intensity game for a centre-half, it would make sense (to play him).
“Now he is ready to play for us, that makes it difficult.”Liverpool are confident of their position, and could opt to wait on fielding Matip until FIFA address the matter before the end of the week.
The governing body will either clear the defender to play immediately or open an investigation which is expected to take between seven and 10 days to reach a conclusion, ruling Matip out of the Premier League visit of Swansea City, the EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Southampton and a possible FA Cup fourth round tie against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Matip retired from international football in September 2015 and is one of seven Cameroon players to have ruled themselves out of the Africa Cup of Nations.
And Klopp believes regulations should be introduced to cater for this situation in the future.
“It’s not about blaming anybody, but you can imagine it’s not too easy to get in contact with the decisive people,” he said.
“The decisive people at the end are the president of the Cameroon FA and Mr (Gianni) Infantino from FIFA.“My dream is a letter from the official side of Cameroon that says the player is released and can play for Liverpool.
“We would have let him go (to the Africa Cup of Nations). Sadio Mane is playing for Senegal. It’s not that the Africa Cup doesn’t fit our plans, or whatever.
“We would have let him go. But my understand is that it’s a free world, and if you don’t want to play for the national team and have different reasons for it, then it should be possible.
“We can all makes decision. Whole countries can leave the EU and nobody can say ‘no you can’t’. Obviously you can.
“We are not the club who says ‘we don’t want to have Africa Cup of Nations’. I like this tournament.
“Sadio is there. Ask Man United if they were happy if Sadio plays in the Africa Cup of Nations, and all the other teams we’re about to play.
“We are not (happy). If we could use him, we would. But he is there. Another player (Matip) has made a decision has said he wants to stay at the club, and how we have this situation.”
Klopp added: “For the future of all international players, there need to be real rules, no commentaries or anything like that.
“It’s not about blaming, it’s only about understanding the situation, and then in the end going ‘these are the rules’.”
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-boss-jurgen-klopp-take-12469559
