Jurgen Klopp has launched a full-on attack on TNT Sports’ meddling with fixtures, calling his side’s recent fixture list a “crime worthy of investigation by Amnesty International”.
Klopp has long been a critic of the 12.30 kick-off on Saturdays, especially for teams with UEFA commitments and a glut of midweek matches. He claims that television channels are partly responsible for the failure of English clubs in European competition this season.
The Liverpool manager apparently bit his tongue ahead of the 2-2 draw with West Ham at 12.30pm last weekend, but he spoke out in his pre-match briefing on Friday.
“If you see that Aston Villa lost 4-2 last night, that would mean that if they really go out, no English team will be in any European final,” Klopp said.
“I watch a lot of football all over the world. The Premier League is the best league in the world. So it is not overrated. The players are overworked. So easy. You can talk about that until everyone finally realizes it, but someone has to help people.
“I don’t know exactly how many Champions League games we have left, but next year I will. Three? Three more Champions League games and you close for what is that, a semi-final of the League Cup, the second [leg]. And the discussion you all allow: ‘What is that? Did they stop one game?’
“I recently had a discussion with colleagues from our favorite TV channel, which I certainly won’t watch again, TNT, and said that it is always a conversation they have, that they pay you, that they give money to football. It is not like that. I really don’t see it that way. It’s exactly the other way around. Football pays them. They broadcast it, they deliver it, but it’s not like TNT isn’t doing extremely well, or Sky or whoever, isn’t doing extremely well.
“You have to become part of football again, and not just the pincher. That’s it, that’s a little advice from an old man on the way out. I’m going to watch a lot of football, but not just because people can do without match days every now and then, for sure.”
‘I was waiting for Amnesty International’
Klopp suggested the Premier League title contenders would have progressed in Europe if not for their demanding schedule.
“We, City and Arsenal are out in the quarter-finals. That’s just not a reflection of quality. It’s just a reflection if we couldn’t perform on the day we had to,” Klopp said.
“Yes, other countries have very good teams, there is no doubt about that, but it is a sign. Years ago I think we had four English teams in the quarter-finals.
“When I talk about it, you always think it’s because of our last situation. No, it’s a general problem. There is nothing left to do with our schedule now. Our schedule is right, it’s good. Can we use that? I don’t know, we’ll see. But the fact that they dare to give us 12:30 on Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday is a crime. I was actually waiting for Amnesty International to go to them. Someone sits there and decides that. I’d like to meet them. I’d love to be part of that meeting where someone says, ‘Liverpool 12.30’, and the whole room bursts out laughing. ‘Again?!’ I would like to be there.
“This morning I was sent the statistics of the largest turnaround in the world. Liverpool FC, yes [laughs]. And we’re sitting there, and I’m the same. I tell you: ‘You have to do more, you have to fight more and you have to go for it.’ We have the fastest turnaround between games in a whole world. That’s absolutely insane. But they are still happy and love subscribers. You can take me off that list!
‘If you are looking for an expert [shaking his head].”
Klopp’s comment could pose a complication for TNT as they hope to broadcast his final match as Liverpool manager. TNT have a ‘second choice’ for the final round of matches, which could make Klopp’s final position attractive if the title race and relegation issues are resolved and Sky pick the match against champions Manchester City or Arsenal.
Klopp still furious at VAR howl after Liverpool’s defeat against Tottenham
Klopp says he has ‘500 reasons’ to want to beat Tottenham this weekend after the controversial meeting between the teams earlier this season.
Liverpool were denied a legal Luis Diaz goal in their 2-1 defeat to Spurs in October, with VAR failing to correctly communicate that the Colombian was onside.
The PGMOL admitted ‘significant human error’ after the audio revealed shoddy proceedings that failed to inform referee Simon Cooper to award the goal.
Klopp remains furious that the unprecedented error has been similarly dismissed as an error of judgement, or the result of a controversial, subjective decision by the referee. He said at the time that he believed the match should be replayed, although the club did not follow that course of action.
However, the memories linger.
“I don’t want to make it the biggest topic, but I can’t forget it [last] The match against Tottenham was also so strange,” said Klopp.
“The other day it was the first time since Tottenham that Simon Hooper was next to me for 90 minutes in a match that I didn’t enjoy in the first place against Everton. I tried to get it out of my head, but I couldn’t. Now we are playing against Tottenham and that was obviously not their fault that night. They just played the game, but I would like to win that game for 500 reasons and the fact that we lost there the way we lost is one of them.”
Liverpool were also reduced to nine men after Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota were sent off; Jota’s dismissal was later deemed a wrong decision by a panel of experts.
If Liverpool had won that match, they would still have a shot at the Premier League title with three games to go. Klopp has effectively admitted that this is not possible for his team now.
“I know mathematically there is still a chance, but it looks like it’s all over,” Klopp said.
“The pressure is off now and it would be very cool if we could play really good football again. Things have been very tense in recent weeks. Playing Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday did not work out well for us after a long season. Looking back at the start of the season, everyone knew how important it would be to qualify for the Champions League again. It is extremely important for the future of the club.”