Liverpool fans perhaps barely even registered that Chelsea were crowned as ‘the best team in the world’ on Sunday evening.
The Reds had their own game to focus on, as they delivered the much more important job of commemorating Diogo Jota during their friendly against Preston.
Nevertheless, while it may have slipped Liverpool‘s attention, Chelsea impressively beat Paris Saint Germain 3-0.
Although this does hand Enzo Maresca’s team the title of ‘world champions’, it is a label which has little meaning to anyone but the Blues’ supporters.
Their win was the culmination of a bloated summer tournament which was previously reserved for winners of each continent’s biggest club prize.
Jurgen Klopp has been very vocal in his criticism of the current format, with the former Liverpool manager highlighting player welfare concerns. But, rewind six years to Klopp being crowned with the Reds, and his tone was very different.
Jurgen Klopp was delighted to become a world champion
The tournament which Chelsea won bears absolutely no resemblance to the one Liverpool emerged victorious in almost six years ago.
Back then, the Reds had to play just two matches to lift the trophy, and did so having beaten Central American champions Monterrey and Copa Libertadores winners Flamengo.
It was a big achievement for Liverpool, who collected the trophy for the first time in the club’s history. And speaking to Sky Sports at the time, Klopp admitted his pride at having done something for the first time at Anfield.
“In this moment we have to look at a wonderful night for us, for the club, for everybody who is with us,” said the German.
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“For tonight, we couldn’t do more than winning this game, winning for the first time for this wonderful club the Club World Cup.
“Before the game I said I don’t know exactly how it would feel [to win the cup] but now I can say it’s outstanding. Absolutely sensational. I am so proud of the boys and couldn’t be better.”
Liverpool truly earned their Club World Cup win
Whereas Chelsea were not even anything close to the best team in London, let alone the whole of the world last season, they can somehow now claim to be champions of the planet.
The Blues deserve huge praise for comfortably beating a seemingly unstoppable PSG team, and in doing so they did defeat the current European champions, but they did not really earn their spot in the competition.
Chelsea did not even compete in the Champions League last season – they weren’t even in the Europa League – let alone win it. This is a trophy which should have always been kept for the very best of the best.
For Liverpool, they can rest easy knowing that their one Club World Cup title was truly earned. They beat Bayern Munich and Barcelona on the way to lifting the Champions League, then beat one of the most dominant Flamengo sides in history to become champions of it all.
Some may view Klopp’s comments as hypocritical given his current criticism of the tournament, but that would be to miss the point. At the time, the Club World Cup was still something to be wholly proud of. The same can no longer be said.
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