Sky Sports asked Klopp yesterday why he waited until the 89th minute to make 2 of his 3 permitted substitutions. The German did not need more to start his complaint about the succession of the matches (something that he has repeated many times before, just like Guardiola, Mourinho and other coaches).
“We only switch late, because we constantly have to think that someone can drop out with an injury. We cannot switch earlier, because if we do that and someone has an injury, then we end up with 9 men.”
“It’s about the players. It’s about the English internationals, the players who will play the European Championship next year. If you (Sky) don’t start talking to BT, it will stop.”
Due to the corona pandemic, last season ended very late, while the current campaign must be completed in a shorter time. The 53-year-old coach believes the programming of the Champions League matches, which are broadcast on BT, and the Premier League, on BT and Sky, is too busy for players and causes injuries.
“If we keep playing on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 12.30pm, I don’t know if we can end the season with 11 players. The top 6 is the same, but I know you (the TV broadcasters) don’t care. that’s the problem.”
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Liverpool is already facing a lot of important absentees this season, such as defenders Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez and midfielders Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara. Yesterday Naby Keita was added.
“We’re told we can rotate. But who? We have offensive players, the rest are kids. That’s right. It’s okay, we’ll fight with what we have, but if you (TV broadcasters) don’t start talking you will see what happens. “
“We cannot change at 10, 11 positions. That is not possible. Not only can we show up for a match, we also have to win it.”
Klopp said the pandemic has forced the football industry to make changes. He brushed aside comments that it would be difficult to adjust the schedules so that the teams would have more recuperation time. “It’s hard for the players. Everything else is just a decision behind a desk in an office.”
Most trainers in the Premier League also want to go back to the 5 changes of the previous corona season. For this season, the clubs decided to stick to 3, just like in Belgium.
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