Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits he was worried the Premier League season would be declared null and void because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Liverpool were 25 points clear at the top of the table and set to end their 30-year wait for the title when the season was suspended in March.
The Reds need just six more points to guarantee their first league title since the 1989-90 season and will resume their campaign with the Merseyside derby against Everton on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.
When asked if he had worried about the title during the coronavirus lockdown, Klopp said: “Honestly, yes.
“When we went into lockdown I didn’t think about it for a second at all because it was not important at that moment.
“I became worried when people started talking about null and void. It was like ‘wow!’ I really felt it physically. That would have been really, really, really hard.
“You don’t expect to get it as a present. We didn’t want to have it on a points-per-game basis, so we were really happy when it was decided that we can play again.
“But there were moments. With how long the discussions were, some people brought it up from time to time for different reasons, but when that was taken off the table I was quite relieved.
“If it was done on points-per-game and we couldn’t have played then we would probably be champions now but we aren’t, we have to play for it.
“That’s great, that’s how it should be in sport and now we will go for it.”
Liverpool will face Everton behind closed doors this weekend and Klopp believes his players are well prepared for what is set to be an unusual atmosphere at Goodison Park.
“It is different but we cannot change that. We have to use the circumstances and not suffer from them,” he said.
“There is a game between Everton and Liverpool which is still a derby and important for both teams for different reasons and that is what we are looking forward to.
“We have tried to get used to the circumstances during the training period, over the last four weeks, with playing one proper test game against Blackburn and two internal matches.
“It looked like football and that is very important.”
Klopp added: “It is not the perfect situation but it is as good as possible. I will not miss it during the game because I know already it is not there.
