Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has warned Newcastle that money does not buy success as the Magpies dream of joining the European elite after their Saudi-led takeover.
Struggling Newcastle are the talk of the Premier League following the £305 million ($419 million) takeover as the new owners prepare to start their reign against Tottenham on Sunday.
Newcastle hope to emulate the sustained success enjoyed by Premier League champions Manchester City under their Abu Dhabi-based backers.
Klopp expects Newcastle to fulfil their ambitions eventually, but he suggested it might be a rocky road to the top because money alone cannot guarantee success.
“What will it mean for football? A few months we had an issue with clubs building a Super League, and rightly so. But this is building a super team, guaranteed places in the Champions League in a few years,” Klopp told reporters on Friday.
“Newcastle fans will love it, but money doesn’t buy success. They have money to make mistakes, but they will be where they want eventually.”
Newcastle’s takeover was greeted with dismay by Amnesty International, which described it as a “bitter blow for human rights defenders”.
Saudi Arabia faced international condemnation following the brutal murder of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate three years ago.
(AFP/Paul ELLIS)
