The Reds manager Jurgen Klopp has accused the Premier League bosses and broadcasting companies of throwing ‘a stick between the legs’ of Liverpool and hampering the club’s bid for a quadruple this season because of the hectic fixture schedule.
As they prepare to take on Benfica in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal, Liverpool are already the firm favourites to progress to the semis after winning the first game 3-1. At Anfield, the Reds will be expected to seal the win and march ahead to the next round of European club football’s most prestigious competition.
Klopp’s men have also done incredibly well in the Premier League and have been able to cut down the gap to defending champions and league leaders Manchester City to just a single point. The sides played a thrilling 2-2 stalemate at the Etihad Stadium this Sunday, leaving the title race unchanged.
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City and Liverpool will lock horns again in the FA Cup semi-final on April 16, and the Merseyside outfit will then have to take on gritty opponents in Manchester United and Everton in the Premier League.
During this phase of the season, such a congested schedule inevitably brings with itself a host of injuries as well as players running out of steam as was the case with Liverpool last season. Despite these games, it is the early kick-off fixture away at Newcastle United on April 30 which has frustrated Klopp to extreme measures.
The German believes that no other league in the world would pile up fixtures this close to each other. It also explains why no English club has ever won the quadruple before, he added.
“We are part of four competitions, and thankfully we are good enough this year not to go out early, but the fixture list we have now, let’s get through it,”
he said, as per BBC.
Klopp mentioned that as things stood, he was only focusing on the home game against Benfica. They have found success in recent Premier League outings, including the trip to Manchester to take on Guardiola’s side. However, they will then have to take on Manchester United followed by Everton.
“Then, if we get through tomorrow, we have a semi-final and BT and the Premier League thought we should have Newcastle away at 12.30.
“The schedule, and how people use the fame in the moment – Liverpool is hot and everyone wants to see them – they couldn’t care less, the TV stations. It’s just not OK,”
he added.
The tactician also stressed on the fact that if a team from any other European league plays the Champions League semi-final, they will never be asked to play an early kick-off game amidst such a congested and tight fixture schedule.
“It’s like: ‘Throw them a little stick between the legs!’ What? What are you doing? Why would you do that? That’s why it’s so difficult, that’s why it never happens, because nobody cares,”
Klopp ranted.
Explaining the situation as ‘unbelievable,’ he added that it is extremely difficult to sustain the tempo. That was evident in the game against Manchester City where they conceded twice and came from behind to restore parity twice.
Klopp also mentioned that even as he focuses on playing Benfica, he cannot really focus on winning the Champions League because, to even imagine, it feels difficult.
“We just try to squeeze everything out to stay as long in the competition as somehow possible and then be there in the final, hopefully, or in the league to make the last decisive step,”
he signed off.
