Liverpool are currently busy with the defence of their title of European Champions, but were today given news of their opposition for another tournament they have been entered into.
The Fifa Club World Championship is being played in December, and Liverpool will play either Australia’s Sydney FC or Costa Rica’s Deportivo Saprissa in the semi-finals.
As European champions Liverpool were seeded – as were defending champions Sao Paulo. The games will be played in Japan in December.
Sydney’s director of football Andy Harper says he’d be delighted to play against the Reds, assuming his side can overcome the Costa Ricans and get to the semis. He said: "Australia is still a colony in a lot of ways so playing against the motherland will be like the Ashes. We are under no illusions. It will be difficult to get to the semi-finals. But Liverpool are a massive club and we would love a crack at them. It will definitely be a step up for us."
Sydney’s coached is Pierre Littbarski, a former German international, and earlier this season they signed former Manchester United and Blackburn forward Dwight Yorke.
The tournament runs from December 11th to 18th and will earn the winners £2.5m in prize money. In addition to the prize money is the exposure the games will bring, and this will help make up for the disappointment Liverpool’s far-eastern fans felt when the Reds had to cancel their pre-season games in the area due to the Champions League qualifiers.