Jürgen Klopp expressed disapproval of the choice to change Liverpool’s match against Manchester City to a 12:30pm start time following the international break, stating that it was decided by individuals who lack an understanding of football.
The Premier League match between first and second place teams, originally scheduled for 5:30pm on November 25th at Etihad Stadium, has been rescheduled due to safety concerns. The safety advisory group denied a later kick-off time after multiple altercations occurred between supporters of the two clubs.
Klopp has expressed disbelief at the rescheduled time of the high-profile match, which will also be an early kick-off for Liverpool following an international break.
During a post-game interview, the Liverpool manager expressed satisfaction with his team’s 3-0 victory against Brentford. He commended the players for their exceptional response and noted that they now have time to train before their upcoming match against Manchester City. However, he also voiced frustration with the decision to schedule the game for Saturday at 12:30pm, stating that those responsible for such decisions do not understand the essence of football. He emphasized that this is a prime moment for the world to witness a football match and yet it is not being prioritized.
“These two squads have a combined total of approximately 30 players from different countries. Interestingly, all the players from South America return on the same plane. Our team arranges for them to fly back together, boarding from Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia. It’s a one game, one plane situation where they all come back together. Our main focus is to prepare for this upcoming game.”
Liverpool moved up to second courtesy of an impressive defeat of Thomas Frank’s team. Mohamed Salah continued his prolific form with two goals and Klopp said there is much more to come from his new-look side.
Klopp stated that it is possible for the team to be ahead of schedule, but he had not considered it before. He expressed satisfaction with their current progress, as they have accumulated the same number of points as other teams despite it only being November. However, he acknowledges that the team has not played perfect football and still has room for improvement. Nonetheless, they have shown resilience and determination in crucial moments, as evidenced by their performance today. Overall, Klopp is content with the team’s progress.
“We must continue competing with the other teams until March or April. If we are still in the running, we can begin discussions. Until then, we must push through the challenges of the toughest league in the world and prepare for matches on Thursday, Sunday, and Thursday. And if the Premier League presents the chance, we must also be prepared for a match on Saturday at 12:30pm.”
Source: theguardian.com
