Jurgen Klopp Weighs in on New Premier League Rules to Combat Time-Wasting
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has had his say on the new Premier League rules which will see officials come down harder on teams attempting to run down the clock. The rules were implemented after the winter World Cup in Qatar, where top-flight matches are now expected to feature longer periods of stoppage time to account for any gamesmanship deemed to be deliberate acts of time-wasting.
Man United defender Raphael Varane recently spoke out about the proposed changes, insisting that elongated matches are “dangerous” for player welfare. Klopp, who has previously been vocal in his opinions about football schedules being too packed and arguing that player interests are not being taken into account, suggested that a “good solution” must be found to combat time-wasting while keeping player wellbeing at the forefront of the conversation.
Klopp’s Thoughts on Time-Wasting
When asked whether the new rules could harm players, Klopp conceded that it was difficult to answer. He noted that there is a 90-minute game and in the end there is net game time, with ball in play between 50 and 55 minutes. He suggested that if they can get to 55 to 60 minutes ball in play, it wouldn’t sound too difficult.
Klopp argued that when he speaks about player welfare he speaks about in general we have too many competitions, we have too many games in general now but having three or four minutes a game more ball in play he can see it now it will make a massive difference.
Finding a Solution
Klopp suggested that it makes sense to give earlier yellow cards for time-wasting, so that it is clear you will not do it after 15 minutes. He also noted that he hopes at the end they find a good solution together that they don’t have 10 to 15 minutes extra time and yellow cards everywhere. He concluded by saying that more football is difficult to take in because they are on the edge, there is no doubt about it.
Conclusion
It is clear that Jurgen Klopp is aware of the importance of finding a good solution to combat time-wasting while keeping player wellbeing at the forefront of the conversation. He has suggested that earlier yellow cards could be a way to ensure teams don’t waste time and that more football is difficult to take in due to the current packed schedule. It will be interesting to see how the new rules will be implemented and whether they will be successful in reducing time-wasting.