Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp recently expressed his frustration with the demanding schedule that his team has faced this season. In a press conference before Liverpool’s match against Tottenham, Klopp criticized the scheduling of 12:30 pm kickoffs after midweek games, calling it “a crime.” He also highlighted a statistic that showed Liverpool had the shortest average time between games compared to other Premier League teams.
According to Opta, Liverpool had an average time of just 116 hours between games, the shortest among all Premier League teams. Manchester City and Aston Villa closely followed with 121 and 123 hours, respectively, but they had played fewer games. With Liverpool having played the most games on the list, it’s understandable that they would have a quicker turnaround time.
Klopp’s frustration stems from the fact that such a short turnaround time between games doesn’t allow his team to compete at a consistently high level in all competitions throughout the season. He criticized the scheduling decisions, saying, “That they dare to give Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday 12:30 is a crime.” Klopp even joked that he was waiting for Amnesty International to get involved.
To add to Klopp’s concerns, Liverpool has also faced a disproportionate number of Saturday 12:30 pm kickoffs since the 2017/18 season. In fact, no team has had more of these early kickoffs than Liverpool’s 37. The most recent one came after a Wednesday evening fixture against West Ham. Klopp pointed out that the game could have been shifted to Sunday if Arsenal had progressed to the Champions League semi-final, further highlighting the unfairness of the scheduling.
Klopp believes that the players are overworked and that something needs to change. He stated, “[The Premier League] is not overrated, the players are overworked.” With Klopp leaving in the summer, there is uncertainty about who will continue advocating for changes to the scheduling. It remains to be seen if Arne Slot or others will take up the mantle.
Overall, Klopp’s remarks shed light on the challenges that teams face due to a congested schedule. The statistics back up his claims, showing that Liverpool has had the shortest turnaround time between games. This issue not only affects Liverpool’s performance but also raises concerns about the well-being of the players. It will be interesting to see if any changes are made in the future to address these scheduling issues.