Jürgen Klopp has explained the thinking behind Liverpool's warm-weather training camp for players and their families in Tenerife this week, including the role of the club's owners in backing the idea.

The fixture list has placed heavy demands on the manager and his squad since his appointment last October, with free time at a premium between the repetition of games, recovery and travel.

But this international break has afforded Klopp the chance to take those not on duty with their countries away to Spain for training sessions in warmer temperatures and relaxing moments with their partners and children.

The boss was quickly convinced of the camp’s benefits in a variety of areas and, with the owners fully supportive of the plan, intends to ensure this is not an isolated venture.

Liverpoolfc.com caught up with Klopp during a break on Wednesday morning to discuss the trip to Tenerife - and the chat can be read in full below...

What was the thinking behind the trip to Tenerife and what are you hoping to achieve out there?

It’s pretty easy. First of all, the weather is not too good at the moment in Liverpool so we can train in Tenerife – it’s a little bit better. We have wind, so we feel a little bit familiar, but we have sun so everything for training is really perfect, 20 degrees or something like this. [It is a] big group, 13 players in training this morning, two goalkeepers, so everything was OK. That’s the main reason why we are here – that we can train in different circumstances because it is a long year [and a] long season for the players so they need to change a little bit. The biggest opportunity we could get from our owners, and from Ian Ayre, Mike Gordon and John [Henry], is that we could take our families here, so it’s a great atmosphere. They work hard and then we have time for the family in a really nice place. Until now, it’s close to perfect to be honest.

Video: Watch the Reds train in Tenerife sunshine

How nice is it for the players to have their families out with them?

You should see, it’s a brilliant atmosphere. They have breakfast together, lunch together and then they have time off. Monday night we had dinner together, yesterday they could go out with their girlfriends, wives and the kids and have dinner for their own. It’s really nice to see all this big Liverpool FC family, all the girls behind us but [also] the children of these guys. It’s great. I think it’s training, that’s why we are here. But of course it brings us all a little bit more together and [to] understand more who we are working with. I like it, it’s the first time that I did it but it’s for sure not the last time.

How pleased are you to have this opportunity to get away after the busy period?

I think a few months ago I had the idea that when we have the opportunity – for us with the number of games we had, it was only the national games – it was clear we have not too many first-team players in the group but it’s not only for the players, it’s for the staff too. It’s for all the people who work so hard. When we knew it was possible for us it was a little bit late, so Ray Haughan [team administration manager] had a really hard job to find something and found it. I’m really pleased because it’s a big opportunity. How I said, not everybody would do this and our owners were really happy with the idea and thought ‘that’s a good idea, come on, let’s do this’. It was great, we enjoy the time and we use it too, so everything is OK.

Photo gallery: Klopp and players in Spain

Is this important because you didn’t get a pre-season with Liverpool?

Not really because you cannot really compare it. Pre-season is completely different. In pre-season, we train three times a day or something like this, so there’s no time for family and things – that’s the most intensive time in the year. Now it’s training and recovery time too after an intensive time, so that’s different. Training camp is something completely different. But in this moment, there’s very good reasons why we should do this now and in the future again because this is what you need. Sometimes you have to see something else. Sometimes you have to switch off the machine and if it’s only for an hour then it helps that you can start getting concentrated again and that’s what we are trying to do here.