Jürgen Klopp, the manager of Liverpool, has told the Guardian that Brexit “makes no sense at all” and that he believes British people should have the chance to vote again on their future either in or outside the European Union.
The 50-year-old German, who has led Liverpool to the semi-finals of this season’s Champions League, said: “When Mr [David] Cameron had the idea [of a referendum] you thought: ‘This is not something people should decide in a moment.’ We are all influenced by the way only some of the argument is given, and once the decision is taken nobody gives you a real opportunity to change it again. The choice was either you stay in Europe, which is not perfect, or you go out into something nobody has any idea how it will work.
“So you give people the chance to make this big decision. And then it’s a 51-49 [51.9%-48.1%] vote and you’re thinking: ‘Wow, 49% are not happy with the decision that’s going to change the country.’ For the 51%, I’m sure they realised pretty early after the vote: ‘What have we done?’
“The two leaders of the leave campaign then stepped aside. It was a pure sign they were surprised themselves by the vote. OK, that can happen. But then, come on, let’s sit together again. Let’s think about it again and let’s vote again with the right information – not with the information you’ve got around the Brexit campaign. They were obviously not right, not all of them. It makes no sense at all.”
In the Guardian interview Klopp speaks about has embraced life in Liverpool and he is proud that his squad, unlike most Premier League clubs, has a strong core of English players. He stresses that, “the English guys lead the group. Tottenham and us we are pretty much the English national team and I like that.”
But the vexed issue of Brexit troubles him. “When I speak to people they say, ‘I wanted to stay [in Europe] but I don’t want to talk about it because I don’t feel it yet as a person.’ I feel it constantly because since I came here the pound dropped. People go on holiday and say: ‘Spain is very expensive!’
“But it’s only because the pound is not that strong anymore. The EU is not perfect but it was the best idea we had. History has always shown that when we stay together we can sort out problems. When we split then we start fighting. There was not one time in history where division creates success. So, for me, Brexit still makes no sense.”
Klopp also spoke of his admiration for Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, saying she is “doing an unbelievable job”.
Writers in Germany have suggested Klopp could be a successful politician in his home country but the Liverpool manager said: “Angela Merkel has two weeks off a year. That’s less holiday than I have which means that’s absolutely not my target.”