Diogo Jota admits the Liverpool fans will view a season in the Europa League as a "downgrade".
The Reds have graced the Champions League in all but one of Jurgen Klopp's full seasons in charge, only missing out on his first year. They've also been hugely successful in the competition, reaching three finals in the space of four years, winning it in 2019 after seeing off Tottenham.
Next season though Anfield will host Europa League football after Liverpool endured a poor campaign by their high standards, eventually missing out on the top four. Despite a late charge they were four points off Newcastle in fourth and Jota, who has played in Europe's secondary competition before, accepts that it will be a different experience for the Kop.
He told FourFourTwo : "I played in the Europa League before with Wolves. Although the fans are used to playing in the Champions League every single year and it will feel like a downgrade, it’s still a prestigious competition. We’ll give our best to win it."
Klopp has previously led Liverpool to the final of the Europa League, back in 2016, where they lost to serial winners Sevilla. The Spanish side, once again, claimed the trophy this season but the Merseysiders are among the favourites to win the final in Dublin in May.
The German is upbeat about their chances and is by no means seeing their participation as a negative despite the struggles of playing on Thursday night before weekend action. He said: "We will make it [the Europa League] our competition. I am not that spoilt.
"That we are already qualified for the Europa League is incredible with all these teams around us. That's really difficult and we did it, that is good. For so long we couldn't even hear the sound of the Champions League, that's how far away we were. The Europe League is absolutely fine. Let's see what we can do."
Jota has joked that playing in the Europa League should mean they can avoid Real Madrid, who have been their nemesis in recent seasons. Los Blancos again knocked out the Reds last term, securing a 5-2 win at Anfield. The Spanish side have in fact ended Liverpool's hopes in each of the past three campaigns.
The Portuguese forward said ironically: "[Real Madrid] can somehow finish third in their group and still be in our way. But since I came to Liverpool, I’ve always got knocked out by Real Madrid, so hopefully they’re not there [in the Europa League]."
