Xavi hopes the news he is stepping down as head coach will spark an improvement in Barcelona’s fortunes.
One of the club’s greatest ever players, the homegrown star returned to the Catalan giants as head coach in November 2021.
Xavi led Barca to last season’s LaLiga and Supercopa de Espana crowns, but things have gone somewhat awry this term.
The Blaugrana languish fourth in the standings – 11 points behind surprise leaders Girona – and the former Spain star announced on Saturday that he would be leaving on June 30.
In his first press conference since the announcement, Xavi said: “Unity is important. It is not an easy time but we want Barca and the fans to be united.
“I would like to highlight the reaction of the fans and the dressing room following my announcement.
“The shows of affection I have received have been amazing.
“I have been surprised by the messages, the calls…during the days a lot of my players have come to speak to me and many were emotional.
“I have felt that human quality. My announcement was designed to help the team grow, so that we can all take a step forward.”
Barca will hope to take a first step at home to Osasuna on Wednesday evening as they look to banish the disappointment of Saturday’s 5-3 defeat to Villarreal.
The shock result was compounded by Xavi’s surprising announcement, which he believes can provide the catalyst to a strong end to his final season in charge.
“The reaction of the players should be what it needs to be on the field because we depend on them becoming inspired,” he said.
“There is a lot at stake, do our best in the league and compete in the Champions League. I am still excited, I feel free. I will give a bit extra so it works.”
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Barca have a chance to show that against Osasuna at Estadi de Montjuic, where all three of their LaLiga defeats have come so far this season.
“Osasuna are rock solid defensively, they play direct football and work well together,” Xavi said.
“It will be tough because they are a team with great spirit.”
Barcelona will be without a string of first-team players against Osasuna, with forward Joao Felix joining their lengthy list of absentees on the eve of the match.
“In training on Tuesday morning the first-team player Joao Felix suffered a sprain of a ligament in his right ankle,” a club statement read.
“He is unavailable for selection and his recovery will dictate his return.”
As for Osasuna, forward Chimy Avila is not part of the 22-man squad as talks continue over a potential move to Real Betis.
Ruben Pena is also absent from Jagoba Arrasate’s squad travelling to Barcelona.
England are reeling from the loss of Marcus Smith for Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations opener against Italy because of a calf problem.
Smith suffered the injury at the squad’s training camp in Girona on Monday and England are waiting for a second opinion on the scan before confirming a return date, raising the possibility that he could miss additional matches.
The 24-year-old was in strong contention to start the Rome showdown at fly-half, competing with George Ford and Fin Smith for the jersey.
“He won’t make this weekend sadly,” assistant coach Kevin Sinfield told reporters.
“It is a calf injury. We got the scan report through but we are waiting to understand exactly what that means for us moving forward. He’s not fit for this weekend.
“It just happened in training, the early part of the session. Just one of those things. The boys have had two days off (for) recovery and Marcus being the bundle of energy that he is was doing his thing.
“Unfortunately these things happen. We are gutted for him because he’s been amazing to work with and we hope it will not be too long.”
Tyrrell Hatton has become the latest player to join LIV Golf and will make his debut in Mexico this week as part of Masters champion Jon Rahm’s team.
The world number 16 has career earnings of more than £20 million, having won six times on the DP World Tour and the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational, but has not lifted an individual title for three years.
The 32-year-old had entered this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA Tour, but will now contest the Saudi-funded breakaway’s first event of 2024 in Mayakoba.
Hatton is joined on Rahm’s Legion XIII team by former top amateur Caleb Surratt and Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent, who won his place via the LIV Golf Promotions event.
“I’m really excited for this next chapter, to link up with Jon Rahm and Legion XIII and to get started this week in Mexico,” Hatton said.
Hatton and Rahm won both of their matches together in last year’s Ryder Cup in Rome, the fiery characters earning the nickname of “Team Angry” as they helped Luke Donald’s European side regain the trophy.
Hatton’s defection will therefore be of huge concern to Donald as he attempts to spearhead a first Ryder Cup win on away soil since 2012 at Bethpage next year.
As things stand, Hatton will be eligible to qualify or receive a wild card as long as he remains a DP World Tour member, which requires him to play in four regular tournaments per season.
He will also earn points towards qualification through major championships, but faces fines and suspensions for playing in LIV tournaments without the required “conflicting event” releases from the DP World Tour.
In April last year, an arbitration panel ruled that the Tour had the right to sanction players for such “serious breaches” of its code of behaviour, a case sparked by 12 players appealing against fines of £100,000 and suspension from the Scottish Open for playing LIV’s inaugural event in June 2022.
It is understood that fines and suspensions are assessed on a case-by-case basis, with former LIV player Bernd Wiesberger having regained his DP World Tour membership after serving a ban and paying all of his fines.
Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood resigned their memberships in the wake of the arbitration panel’s decision, while Henrik Stenson was sacked as Ryder Cup captain after joining the Saudi-funded breakaway.
It remains to be seen if the LIV rebels will be handed a route back to the Ryder Cup via the ongoing negotiations between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which bankrolls LIV Golf.
The initial December 31 deadline for the Framework Agreement to be formalised has been extended, but the PGA Tour is also reported to being on the verge of a deal with a consortium of US-based investors which includes Boston Red Sox and Liverpool owner John Henry.
Mistergif continued Willie Mullins’ successful January as well as the hot run of owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede with an impressive success on his Irish debut at Limerick.
Although banking plenty of experience in France, he arrived at Closutton a maiden, but nevertheless was sent off the 8-13 favourite for the Follow Limerick Racecourse On Twitter (C & G) Maiden Hurdle over two miles on testing ground.
The result was a formality as the five-year-old made all and cruised to an impressive 18-length success in the hands of Kieran Callaghan to give Mullins his fourth straight success in the race and also follow in the footsteps of State Man who was victorious in the 2022 renewal before marching to County Hurdle glory at the Cheltenham Festival.
Mistergif holds entries for both the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle at Prestbury Park and although connections may want to see more before he gets his ticket stamped for March, he brought up Mullins’ 40th winner for the month while adding to the recent victories of Zarak The Brave, Jasmin De Vaux and Anotherway in the ‘double green’ colours.
“He’s a horse by a stallion we like in Zarak,” said Anthony Bromley, racing manager to the owners, who will have the likes of El Fabiolo in action at the Dublin Racing Festival this weekend.
“He jumped very smoothly today, that was impressive the way he jumped. The horse in second was only rated 106, so we must not get too carried away.
“I think he will have to have another run to see where we are and in terms of if he’s a Festival horse or not. But he’s a really exciting prospect and it comes hot on the heels of Anotherway yesterday and the bumper horse on Sunday, so they are just hitting their stride at the right time.
“I don’t think there is any necessarily big targets for him, but we will have to run again and see where we are.”
Winning rider Callaghan added: “It was very straightforward. He had experience around Auteuil and loads of runs on the Flat as well as a younger horse.
“I was just worried that he was doing a bit too much early, but he was very good the way he picked up from the back of the second-last.
“He hit the line hard and I was at the first hurdle down the back pulling him up so it’s definitely a good sign on that ground.
“He couldn’t have done it much easier, and he has a chance of being a nice horse.”
Wales assistant coach Jonathan Humphreys knows from personal experience how “noisy and intimidating” the Principality Stadium can be for visiting teams.
And Scotland – Wales’ opening Guinness Six Nations opponents in Cardiff on Saturday – have found it tougher than most.
They have lost 11 successive games in the Welsh capital – nine Six Nations fixtures, a World Cup warm-up match and an autumn Test.
Humphreys was part of the Scotland coaching staff for two of those losses, a 51-3 reversal when Stuart Hogg was sent off in 2014 plus a 27-23 defeat two years later.
It is 22 years since Scotland last won at the venue, when current head coach Gregor Townsend lined up in a team that won by five points courtesy of injury-time penalties from Brendan Laney and Duncan Hodge.
The Scots did claim an away victory four years ago but that encounter was played at Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli, with the Principality Stadium being turned into a hospital during the coronavirus pandemic.
“I think people underestimate the stadium – how noisy and intimidating it is,” former Wales captain Humphreys said.
“When you are the other side of that it hits you. It is not a nice place to come, especially if Wales are on the front foot and going well and the crowd are behind them.
“That is a challenge in itself. I know lots of people talk about the atmosphere.
“When the stadium was built, there were a few of us who were asked our opinion from the old stadium, and what we wanted was the ability still to be enclosed like the old Arms Park was.”
Despite recent history, the bookmakers are confidently predicting a Scottish win against a Wales team without many familiar faces.
Dan Biggar and Leigh Halfpenny retired from Test rugby after the World Cup, Liam Williams is playing in Japan and Louis Rees-Zammit has quit rugby union to try and forge an American football career.
Injuries have also hit Wales, with World Cup co-captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake set to miss the whole Six Nations along with 104 times-capped number eight Taulupe Faletau.
Almost half of Wales’ 34-strong Six Nations squad have cap totals in single figures, while they are captained for the first time by 21-year-old Exeter lock Dafydd Jenkins.
On the squad newcomers, Humphreys added: “It has been good. There is loads of energy, and they are lapping it up.
“The reason they are in here is because we feel they can play international rugby, and their form with the clubs has shown that.
“They are super-keen, super-hungry and they will have experience of Test rugby during this campaign.
“The level of expectation within the group is high. You are still expected to perform, you are still expected to win.
“We want to get these boys up and running as quick as we can, we want them to experience success as quick as we can. Whenever that comes, the sooner the better, really.
“It is difficult to tell people what it’s like to run out in front of 70,000 people in a Six Nations game.
“You can’t really prepare that. All you can do is try and mimic the intensity of what it is in training, and try and make it more intense and make sure this game does not pass you by.”
No Flies On Him will head to Punchestown to continue his hurdling education next month after connections elected to miss the Dublin Racing Festival with the top novice prospect.
Trained by Edward O’Grady and owned by JP McManus, the five-year-old beat Nicky Henderson’s Grade One scorer Jango Baie in the pointing field before impressing on his rules debut at Leopardstown over the Christmas period.
He looked to be in line for a return to the Irish capital for the Grade One Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle on Sunday, but his name was missing from the list of acceptors at Tuesday’s confirmation stage.
Instead O’Grady will point his talented charge towards Kildare next month, where he will step up to Listed level in the Madigan Group Irish EBF Sheila Bourke Novice Hurdle.
“The horse is absolutely fine and in excellent shape, but we have decided to wait for Punchestown on February 18,” said O’Grady.
“We were pleased with what he did (on debut). I don’t know (if he’s improved) but we will find out.”
No Flies On Him holds an entries for both the Sky Bet Supreme Novices Hurdle – for which he is as short as 12-1 – and the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
When asked if a positive display at Punchestown could tee up a trip to Prestbury Park in March, O’Grady said: “I hope so, yes.”
The West Indies got their third win in a row with a tense three-wicket win over Sri Lanka to open their Super Six campaign at the ICC Under-19 World Cup in South Africa on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka first posted 231 from their 50 overs after winning the toss and choosing to bat first at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley.
Dinura Kalupahana made 53 from 83 balls to lead the Sri Lankan batting effort while Malsha Tharupathi made 42 off 38 and Supun Waduge 31 off 40 to provide good support.
Raneico Smith took 4-47 from his 10 overs to lead the West Indian bowling effort while Nathan Edward took 2-47 from his nine overs. Nathan Sealy and Tarrique Edward took a wicket each.
The West Indies then completed a tense chase, reaching 232-7 from 49.3 overs.
Steven Wedderburn, playing only his second match of the tournament, led the way with a 71-ball 61 at the top of the order. His knock included five fours and three sixes.
He was well supported by Jordan Johnson who made 39 off 46 balls including four fours. Captain Stephan Pascal made a swift 26-ball 33 including five fours and a six.
The West Indies were cruising at 147-2 in the 27th over before Wedderburn and Johnson fell in successive overs to leave the West indies 149-4 in the 28th over.
The subsequent wickets of Mavendra Dindyal (17), Nathan Edward (13) and Jewel Andrew (11) left the West Indies in a tricky position at 206-7 in the 46th over before a match-winning 26-run eighth wicket partnership between Nathan Sealy and Tarrique Edward.
Sealy finished 27* off 28 balls while Edward finished 11* off 13 balls.
Vishwa Lahiru took 2-32 from his 10 overs for Sri Lanka while Dinura Kalupahana and Sineth Jayawardena also took a pair of wickets, each.
The West Indies are now second in Group two of the Super Six with four points, the same as Australia who play England tomorrow. The Caribbean side will play Australia in their final Super Six game on Friday.
The top two teams in the group will advance to the semi-finals.
Connections of Lossiemouth are content to stick to the process and head to the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival after dazzling in her Trials day return to action.
Last year’s Triumph Hurdle scorer had not been seen since adding to her Grade One haul at the Punchestown Festival, with trainer Willie Mullins electing to tread a different path with his juvenile graduates this season and keep them under wraps until turning five at the turn of the year.
Sent to the Unibet Hurdle for her seasonal bow – on the same day stablemate and regular adversary Gala Marceau headed to Doncaster – she delivered a breathtaking display to dominate her elders and firmly dispatch Love Envoi, who was left trailing the best part of 10 lengths behind in second.
The manner of victory opened up the tantalising prospect of Lossiemouth taking on the likes of Constitution Hill and State Man in the Champion Hurdle.
However, Plan A has always been to head to the Mares’ Hurdle 40 minutes later on the opening day of the Festival, where as a best price of 4-5 favourite, she would have a fine chance of following in the footsteps of Vroum Vroum Mag (2016) and Benie Des Dieux (2018) by winning the Grade One contest for owners Rich and Susannah Ricci.
“The team were pretty happy she was in great form beforehand and she clearly was, but I think the manner of the victory surprised all of us,” said the owners’ racing manager Joe Chambers.
“That was great to see and hopefully the patient approach we have taken with her will reward us as well as the season goes on.
“That (Mares’ Hurdle) has been the plan all along and continues to be the plan today. Things can change, but I think we will be leaning towards the Mares’ unless a number of things occurred to change our mind. She’s odds-on for one and 8-1 for the other.”
Meanwhile, there was a positive bulletin on Monkfish, who also sports the famous pink and green silks and made a winning return from 272 days off the track in the Galmoy Hurdle.
A Cheltenham Festival winner in both the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, injury has meant he has not visited Prestbury Park since he was victorious in 2021.
He holds entries for both the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle and the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup this time around and although connections are set to make a late call on which race gets the nod, a return to fencing for a crack at the blue riband is a real possibility for the 10-year-old.
“It was magic to see (him win the Galmoy) and he did well on his return,” continued Chambers.
“Touch wood he has been sound since and we will try to keep him sound between now and March.
“Our inclination has always been to go back over fences, but let’s see how things shape up and the respective races shape up between now and March. A lot could change, but if we can keep him in one piece we look forward to running him wherever that may be.
“It could be (the Gold Cup) and that’s what we would like to do, but we are still six and a half weeks out from that and we will probably leave that decision to the week of Cheltenham.”
Marcus Rashford is not the first player to have fallen short of disciplinarian Erik ten Hag’s standards at Manchester United.
The 26-year-old was this week subject of “internal disciplinary” proceedings after he reportedly went out in Belfast last Thursday night and failed to train the following day due to illness.
Ten Hag is sure to be asked about Rashford in his press conference on Wednesday, having already been among the players to irk the United boss since he arrived in the summer of 2022.
Cristiano Ronaldo
The highest profile issue came with United fan favourite Ronaldo. The veteran was denied the move he wished for during Ten Hag’s first few months at the helm and, having missed the club’s pre-season tour due to a family matter, left before the end of his first friendly against Rayo Vallecano. The Dutchman continued to largely speak positively about Ronaldo in public but the mood soured in October 2022 when the frontman headed down the tunnel having refused to come on as a substitute in a win over Tottenham, leading to him being banished from the squad for the next match. The following month Ronaldo claimed to have been “betrayed” by United in an explosive, wide-ranging interview that led to his contact being terminated by mutual consent.
Alejandro Garnacho
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The teenager did not get anywhere near angering Ten Hag like his idol Ronaldo did, but he was one of the first to get a taste of his improved levels of discipline around United under the Dutchman. Fresh from starring in United’s FA Youth Cup triumph, Garnacho was dropped during the summer tour of Thailand and Australia after turning up late for meetings. The Argentina international has clearly learned his lesson, going on to become one of the star performers for United despite still only being 19.
Jadon Sancho
Sancho struggled for consistency after his big-money move from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, but his first season under Ten Hag started brightly enough. The winger then did not feature from October 22 until February 1 – a period that included an individual winter fitness programme in the Netherlands – but returned to help United win the Carabao Cup. However, things went dramatically awry in September 2023, when Sancho claimed on social media that he had been made a “scapegoat” after the Dutchman said he omitted him from a matchday squad due to his training levels. Sancho was banished from the first-team and this month rejoined Dortmund on loan.
Marcus Rashford
Rashford was dropped to the bench at Wolves last season for timekeeping, but that was quickly put to bed by all parties after he came on to score the winner. More problematic has been some of his off-field decision-making this season. Rashford went to a nightclub party after October’s embarrassing 3-0 home derby defeat to Manchester City – something Ten Hag called “unacceptable”. Now stories have emerged that he went out in Belfast on Thursday night, before reporting ill the following day and missing training. Rashford missed Sunday’s FA Cup win at Newport and a club statement on Tuesday read: “Marcus has taken responsibility for his actions. This has been dealt with as an internal disciplinary matter, which is now closed.”
Galopin Des Champs and State Man will both face a maximum of four rivals in their respective bids for back-to-back victories at this weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown.
Having bounced back to winning ways with a dominant display in the Savills Chase over the Christmas period, Galopin Des Champs will be a warm order to successfully defend his crown in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup before aiming to do the same in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.
His biggest threat on Saturday appears to be a familiar rival in Martin Brassil’s Fastorslow, who took his measure in last season’s Punchestown Gold Cup and the John Durkan at Punchestown in December before sidestepping the Savills on account of the prevailing testing conditions.
As well as Galopin Des Champs, Willie Mullins could saddle I Am Maximus, while the potential field is completed by Gordon Elliott’s 2022 Irish Gold Cup hero Conflated and his stablemate Coko Beach.
Mullins is responsible for six of the nine horses still in contention for the first of eight Grade Ones over the course of the two days – the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle – with Predators Gold and Loughglynn the two at the top of the market.
The Closutton handler also dominates the Spring Juvenile Hurdle, with runaway Punchestown winner Storm Heart and French recruit Salvator Mundi – second to last weekend’s brilliant Cheltenham winner Sir Gino on his only start in France – two of eight Mullins entries in a field of 13.
The only Grade One favourite not under the tutelage of the champion trainer is Barry Connell’s Marine Nationale, who will put his unbeaten record on the line in the Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase.
Mullins has left in Facile Vega, Gaelic Warrior, Il Etait Temps and Sharjah, although all four also retain the option of running in the the longer Ladbrokes Novice Chase on Sunday.
Gaelic Warrior and Sharjah both carry the familiar colours of Rich and Susannah Ricci, and their racing manager Joe Chambers has hinted the former could avoid a clash with Marine Nationale at this stage.
He said: “There isn’t any other options for him this side of Cheltenham and we will see what he is like going left-handed (over fences), whether that be two miles or over two-miles-five. It’ll be interesting to see how that pans out, especially down the back straight.
“He won over two miles there last year, albeit in a handicap hurdle, but Marine Nationale is a class act and I don’t see why we would want to take him on until we have to.
“With that being said, there are only eight left in the Irish Arkle, of which he and Sharjah are two. We will see and there is a long time until Saturday.”
Saturday’s action concludes with the Grade Two Future Stars (C & G) I.N.H. Flat Race, in which last year’s winner A Dream To Share is the star attraction among 13 confirmations.
On Sunday, State Man will be cramped odds to win his second Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle, with his stablemate Impaire Et Passe set to be in opposition again after chasing him home in the Matheson Hurdle last month.
Mullins could also run Echoes In Rain, while a resurgent Bob Olinger would be an intriguing challenger for Henry de Bromhead. Elliott’s Fils D’oudairies will be a huge outsider.
Joining Facile Vega, Gaelic Warrior, Il Etait Temps and Sharjah in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase is another Mullins ace in Fact To File, who is priced up as favourite at this stage.
Ballyburn is a short price for the champion trainer in the Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle, with Elliott’s Royal Bond victor Farren Glory clear second best in the market.
Following the abandonment of the original Clarence House Chase at Ascot, El Fabiolo will be widely expected to land the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase on his way to the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Mullins could also run Dinoblue, last year’s winner Gentleman De Mee and Saint Roi, De Bromhead has Captain Guinness and Brassil has left in Fastorslow as a back-up option to the Irish Gold Cup.
The Mullins theme continues in the concluding Coolmore N.H. Sires Hurricane Lane Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race, with Aurora Vega and Baby Kate two of his major hopes.
Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou expects a quiet last few days of the January transfer window.
Spurs have been one of the most active clubs this month, with Radu Dragusin and Timo Werner arriving and several other players finding new loan teams.
Talks had started with Club Brugge over the signing of highly rated attacker Antonio Nusa, but no fee could be agreed and it appears the club’s business is done ahead of Thursday’s deadline.
“Look, unlikely I’d say. I don’t see any incomings,” Postecoglou said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday’s Premier League game against Brentford.
“Outgoings, a little bit different because I’m not totally engaged with that. Other people are doing the work around that.
“I’d say unlikely on both fronts, without ruling anything out.
“I’ve enjoyed working with (technical director) Johan (Lange) and his team. I am sure going into the summer we’ll be in a good place to make sure we again try to take advantage of the fact we can make our squad and team stronger for what is ahead.”
Spurs will aim to bounce back against Brentford after exiting the FA Cup on Friday night following a 1-0 loss at home to Manchester City.
It means the club’s trophy drought is set to extend into a 17th year unless they can win the title this season.
Postecoglou added: “It’s disappointing we’re out of both cup competitions, particularly with not being in Europe because obviously the supporters are really crying out for some sort of success to experience at this football club, but I can’t let that guide my course.
“This is still about us growing as a team and finishing the second half of the season stronger than the first.
“If we do that, we’ll be in a good position to continue to challenge and push this team along. That’s our focus.
“As much as there’s disappointment that we’re out of another cup, there’s also a reminder to us that it’s not just about winning one trophy. If we’re going to compete at that level we want to, then we’ve still got a lot of work to do.”
James Maddison could start on Wednesday after he made a cameo off the bench against City in his first appearance since being ruled out for close to three months with an ankle injury.
Tottenham will remain without Pape Sarr, Yves Bissouma and Son Heung-min due to international commitments, but Sarr will return on Wednesday after Senegal were knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday and could be available for Saturday’s trip to Everton.
Postecoglou also confirmed Manor Solomon has suffered a setback on his return from a knee injury.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged everyone to stay calm when it comes to the handling the futures of some of their biggest stars.
Virgil van Dijk, who along with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold has 18 months left on his contract, has said he was curious to see where the club was heading with Klopp’s departure pending and admitted he did not know whether he would be part of a new era at Anfield.
That has sparked concerns a period of inertia – Liverpool currently do not have a sporting director in place after Jorg Schmadtke’s short-term appointment was ended – until the identity of the new manager is known could lead to the break up of a squad which Klopp believes has been rebuilt sufficiently to continue challenging after he has gone.
Asked whether there was a danger the squad could break up Klopp said: “No, I don’t think so but it is completely normal.
“It was always clear, when I spoke about what I spoke about, the outside world will not give you a second to process it, to think about it. It is ‘what are you doing?’.
“A week ago when no one knew about my decision and there were 18 months on the contracts, nobody asked. So give us a break, give the boys a break.
“Nobody has to worry. This club is stable, 100 per cent, and everything will be fine, I am 100 per cent sure, and the rest we have to get through. I would recommend to stay calm in this department, massively.”
Klopp argued it would have been unfair and disrespectful to players who have played a major part in their success together to tie them down to new contracts when they had no idea he would not be manager next season.
The German informed owners Fenway Sports Group of his decision in November but the players were not told until Friday. However, Klopp said there is plenty of time to sort their futures.
“The club knew about my departure for a while and could have used the time and tied the players down and then I say ‘by the way, I’m not here anymore’, and they they ‘hey, what? No one told us that’,” he added.
“You cannot work like that, especially not with the relationship we have. There is enough time to do everything.
“These players love to be here, I know that for a fact, don’t forget that. It is not that they have one foot out. They want to know a little bit of perspective but that will happen, especially behind the scenes.
“Don’t worry. It is all fine.”
Player contracts is just the first issue to arise since Klopp’s announcement and it shows the desire for there not to be any distractions is misguided.
It comes in a huge week for the Premier League leaders, who host Chelsea on Wednesday before travelling to Arsenal at the weekend.
After a month when he was without a number of players the direction of travel in that respect has changed with Alexis Mac Allister rejoining the squad after missing the weekend as a precaution.
Even fellow midfielder Thiago Alcantara, who has not played since April because of a hip injury, has returned to training but the wait for Mohamed Salah’s recovery from a hamstring injury sustained on African Nations Cup duty with Egypt goes on even though his country have now been eliminated.
“There was no pressure in it besides the fact that you want to get fit as quick as possible anyway. We cannot rush it,” he said.
“If we could rush the healing process believe me Thiago would not have been out for 10 months. It is not possible.”
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino insists everyone at the club remains relaxed heading into the final 48 hours of the January transfer window.
The Blues have been linked with a move for Aston Villa frontman Jhon Duran and Newcastle foward Callum Wilson as well as Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies.
England midfielder Conor Gallagher is a reported target for Tottenham to leave Stamford Bridge, while Fulham and Wolves are said to be tracking Armando Broja.
Pochettino, though, maintains his squad is fully focused on just one target – getting a result at Liverpool on Wednesday night.
“I am excited for the for the game tomorrow. It is a great opportunity for us to face a team that is doing really well,” Pochettino said.
“For Thursday (transfer deadline day), I think it is not going to happen many things. I think we are quiet and the market is quiet.”
Pochettino told a press conference: “At the moment, all is quiet, calm and relaxed.
“I was talking with the players, the whole squad, with meetings today. At the moment, we are all relaxed about the whole situation of the squad.
“There is always speculation and we need to live with that, (but) at the moment, (there is) nothing to communicate and nothing (has) happened.”
Christopher Nkunku and Malo Gusto are back in full training, so should travel to Anfield, but defender Levi Colwill is set for a spell out with a minor muscle issue.
Striker Nico Jackson will return to Chelsea following Senegal’s exit from the Africa Cup of Nations, but might not be rushed back into club action.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp could record his 200th Premier League victory on Wednesday night.
With the German having announced his shock decision to leave the club at the end of the season, Anfield is again set to see an outpouring of emotion from the home supporters.
Pochettino, though, has every intention of spoiling the party.
“It is a special game for him. I think until the end (of the season), it is going to be special always (in each match),” the Chelsea boss said.
“Every time that they are going to play in Anfield is going to be a party, to celebrate and to give him all the love that the fans feel for him and I think (that is) well deserved.
“But we are thinking to go there and to win the game – sorry, but we don’t want to be involved in part of the celebration.
“We want to be thinking about us, to perform well and to win the game.”
Klopp admitted “running out of energy” was one of the reasons behind his decision to take a break, which Barcelona manager Xavi also spoke of when announcing his own departure on Saturday evening.
“Football never stress you, I think it is all the environment,” said Pochettino, who also had spells at Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham and Paris St Germain.
“When I am involved in a training session, when we are in the game or even in with you (the media), I think this recharges the energy.
“But at the moment there are different things that are involved also, new things that appear on (top of) football in this business. I think that maybe affects a lot (of) the drain (of) the energy.”
Alastair Johnston has become “more and more convinced” about Philippe Clement since the Belgian came through a Rangers interrogation to become manager.
The 49-year-old former Genk, Club Brugge and Monaco boss was one of several potential candidates who threw their hats in the ring last October when Michael Beale departed the Govan club.
After impressing the Ibrox board to earn a deal until the summer of 2027, Clement has rejuvenated the Light Blues and their supporters.
The Viaplay Cup returned to Ibrox for the first time since 2011 with a 1-0 win over Aberdeen in the Hampden Park final in December, a place in the last 16 of the Europa League was secured and the Gers continue to chase down cinch Premiership leaders Celtic, currently sitting five points behind with a game in hand.
Rangers non-executive director and former Gers chairman Johnston, 75, who is based in the USA, told the PA news agency that Clement stood up to some severe scrutiny before he took charge but the appointment is looking increasingly positive.
He said: “The process Philippe had to go through before he joined the club, before we signed off on him was probably as thorough as I’ve ever experienced.
“We can’t deny that there has maybe been a couple of short-sighted decisions in the past, but this time we all had a chance to participate at the board level.
“From my standpoint, it’s my way of doing things. I don’t interview people. I interrogate them.
“That can sometimes be a fairly, in-your-face experience.
“It was a very healthy, very candid, two-way conversation. He correlated his expectations and ambitions with Rangers and we found out he does his homework carefully with respect to what the expectations were for Rangers as well as what the limitations were, and that was a big tick mark.
“Since my first engagement with him, albeit the first one was on Zoom because of geographical reasons, I’ve been with him quite a lot personally.
“I was there for the first several games and with every day that went by, I became more and more convinced that we’ve done the right thing.
“It seems like it’s been there for a long, long time. From the board’s perspective, the fact that he’s done what he has done in a relatively short period of time, makes it even more impressive.
“We’re playing a little bit of catch up right now, but we are very appreciative that most of the supporters are giving us a chance. If we don’t deliver in the long term then we will hear about it.
“But at this point in time, all I can say is I’ve got a lot of confidence. But it’s football. We are not in there with any guarantees, on or off the field.
“I’ve been around a long time and know that in football you’re only as good as your next result. So I’m never ever going to be presumptuous.”
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