Every word of Jurgen Klopp's extraordinary answer as Liverpool boss goes off on TNT Sports
Jurgen Klopp has launched into a sensational tirade against TNT Sports and the Premier League’s intense schedule.
The German has regularly spoken on behalf of player welfare during his nine years at Liverpool, insisting top-flight players play too much football, and taken issue with broadcasters’ scheduling of Premier League matches.
The Reds have comfortably been handed more 12.30pm kick-offs than any other Premier League side in recent years, with that also being a persistent bugbear for Klopp as he frequently spoke out against the quick turnaround his side have often had to face.
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Liverpool were put in such a situation last week where they travelled to West Ham United for a 12.30pm kick-off on Saturday, having lost the Merseyside derby away at Everton the previous Wednesday.
In contrast, the Reds will have enjoyed eight days between matches ahead of their home clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. And asked about his side’s schedule ahead of that game, Klopp lambasted the intense fixture list sides have to navigate and joked that he will never watch TNT Sports again. Here is his full answer…
“The boys had a couple of days off which is super important,” he said. “And we could have proper training sessions again which we are pretty much not used to anymore.
“Usually we stumble from minus one into the next and then we play again. Training helps good coaches, good managers, and good footballers massively. I hope we can see that.
“In general, I think it is a really interesting subject on how they could not be less interested but, seeing that Aston Villa lost 4-2 last night for example would mean that if they really go out, that no English team is in any kind of European final.
“You all will stay here, you all will talk about it. If you don’t decrease the intensity for the players, if you make of the fact that English teams are not in the final, if you make of that we all under-performed, I’m not sure.
“There are moments, definitely, like us versus Atalanta, but in general, the Premier League, I watch a lot of football all over the world, the Premier League is the best league in the world.
“So it’s not overrated. The players are over-worked. Easy as that. Easy as that. You can talk about that until everybody realises finally, but somebody needs to help the people.
“You cut off one game, you get for the top teams, I’m not sure exactly how many more Champions League games we have, they have next year. Three? Three more Champions League games and you cut off for that, what is it, League Cup semi-final, the second (leg).
“And the discussion you all allow, ‘What is that? They cut off one game.’ Everybody has reasons to ask for this, ‘But we cannot cut off these games, it’s important for everything!’ Then sort that situation but you cannot sort it all the time.
“I had a discussion only the other day with colleagues from our favourite TV channel which I will definitely not watch again, TNT, and said it’s always a conversation they have, saying they pay you, they give money to football.
“It’s not like that. I really don’t see it like that. It’s exactly the other way round, football pays them. They broadcast it, they deliver, but it’s not that TNT is not doing extremely well, or Sky or whoever, is doing extremely well. They can pay all of you, it’s all fine.
“You have to become a part of football again, and not just the squeezer. That’s it, that’s a little advice from an old man on the way out.
“I will watch a lot of football, but not all because people can survive without match days from time to time, definitely. This is, City and Arsenal, they are out in the quarter-finals, this is just not a reflection.
“That we are out in the quarter-finals is just not a reflection of quality. It’s just a reflection of we could not deliver on the day we had to. Yes, other countries have really good teams, no doubt about that, but it’s a sign.
“Years ago I think we had four English teams in quarter-finals. And then we take that and say, ‘Yeah, it’s the quality of the Premier League and let’s make more of it!’ But we have to change that approach, that’s how it is.
“You always think when I speak about it, it’s because of our last situation. We lost against…, no, we didn’t lose against West Ham. But because of the last game. No, it’s a general problem.
“Nothing to do with our schedule now. Our schedule is right, it’s good. Can we use that? I don’t know, we will see.
“That they dare give Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday 12.30 is a crime. I was actually waiting for Amnesty International to go to them.
“Somebody sits there - you love this press conference (to Liverpool FC press officer Tony Barrett) - so just somebody sits there and decides there.
“I would like to meet, I would like to once be part of that meeting where somebody says, ‘Liverpool 12.30’, and the whole room is bursting into laughter. ‘Again?!’ I would like to be there.
“This morning I got sent the stats of the biggest turnaround in the whole world. Liverpool FC, yeah (laughs). And we sit 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.’ In a whole world, we have the quickest turnaround between games. That is absolutely insane.
“But they are still happy and they like subscribers. You can take me off that list! But if you’re looking for a pundit, I speak English! I could do it! (Laughs).”
