Two days before Liverpool host Tottenham at Anfield, the German stated that he has told TNT Sports that he wants to be “removed from their list of subscribers”. The reason must be that Klopp is very dissatisfied with the channel’s match schedule, which according to him is one of the reasons why English clubs have fallen short in Europe this season.
Klopp warns against the demands placed on the top players and that this has led to too much strain. He believes the TV companies have their share of the blame for this.
– Seeing Aston Villa lose 4-2 last night against Olympiakos means that if they go out, there will be no English team in any of the European finals, Klopp said at Friday’s press conference.
– Do you mean that we have all underperformed, asks the German further and points out that perhaps his own team did just that against Italian Atalanta when they went out in the previous round of the Europa League.
– But I watch a lot of football and the Premier League is the best league in the world. It is not overrated, but the players are overworked. Someone has to help, says Klopp clearly.
The outgoing Liverpool manager is clearly unhappy with the TV companies’ handling of match fixtures in the Premier League – on Friday he let his anger go beyond TNT, which has the rights to the lunchtime match that plays on Saturdays in the Premier League. It usually kicks off at 1:30 p.m. Norwegian time. This season, TNT has selected Liverpool for this match six times, which is the maximum number of times they are allowed to do so.
– I had a discussion here the other day with colleagues from my favorite TV channel, which I definitely don’t want to watch again. Namely TNT, said an unsatisfied Klopp.
– Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday. They dare to set us up on Saturday 1.30pm. It is criminal. I was actually waiting for Amnesty International to go to them, Klopp said.
Klopp believes the eternal discussion about who pays for whom is wrong.
– They pay for us, they give money to football. It is not so. I really don’t see it that way. It is the other way around and football pays them. They broadcast it, but it’s not like TNT or Sky or whoever doesn’t do it extremely well.
On his way out of the Premier League circus, the German urges that they must again become partners of football and not just someone who squeezes the lemon.
This season, Manchester City and Arsenal have both exited the quarter-finals of the Champions League. As mentioned, Liverpool crashed out of the quarter-finals of the Europa League. Klopp thinks he sees a pattern.
– It is not a reflection of quality. It is a reflection of our failure to deliver on the day we needed to. Yes, the other countries have very good teams, there is no doubt about that, but it is a sign.
Liverpool last played last Saturday’s lunchtime game away to West Ham. It was the team’s fourth game in ten days. Before Sunday’s home meeting with Tottenham, they have a full eight days of rest.
Liverpool is currently in 3rd place in the league, and is guaranteed Champions League play next season.
