Jurgen Klopp urges broadcasters to show more of ‘wonderful’ Paralympics

Jurgen Klopp likened the Paralympics opening ceremony to a Taylor Swift concert as he called for greater coverage of the Games after watching his long-time friend Wojtek Czyz play badminton at Paris 2024.

Former Liverpool boss Klopp regards Czyz’s story as the most inspiring he has ever heard and was a high-profile spectator on court one of the La Chapelle Arena on Thursday afternoon.

Czyz had his left leg amputated after breaking his knee in a collision with a goalkeeper while playing football in 2001 before becoming a four-time Paralympic champion for Germany in athletics.

The 44-year-old later helped amputees in developing countries receive prosthetics for free after buying a catamaran and embarking on circumnavigation of the world.

His Paralympic debut for his adopted nation New Zealand, where he settled having become stuck there during the coronavirus pandemic, ended in a 2-0 defeat to Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell in the SL3 men’s singles.

Klopp, who has been friends with Czyz since they met a charity football match in 2002, believes sport has the power to change the world and feels Para events deserve increased exposure.

“I always watch it, if you can, because that’s already a challenge to start, try to find Paralympics on television,” said the 57-year-old, who left Anfield this summer.

“Nowadays it should be easier with all the streaming things but I think we all are ready to watch much more than we show.

“Only a few weeks ago we had the Olympics here and they had more cameras here, of course. Somebody has to start with it.

“Broadcasting is a business, 100 per cent, I understand that but I really think we should show much more because it’s so encouraging, it’s so wonderful.

“We experienced the Olympics here in