SKY SPORTS cut part of Jurgen Klopp’s interview after the Liverpool boss slammed TV broadcasters over the Premier League’s packed schedule.
The German was visibly upset after another of his first-team stars, Naby Keita, went off injured during the Reds’ 3-0 win over Leicester.
Sky Sports cut Jurgen Klopp’s interview after the Liverpool boss slammed the broadcasterCredit: Sky Sports
The midfielder seemed to tweak his hamstring and could be set to add to the number of players unavailable to Klopp.
Liverpool headed into the Foxes clash already without Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The Merseysiders were the late game on Sunday but now play in Europe on Wednesday before their early kick-off game on Saturday.
And speaking in his post-match interview, Klopp called on Sky and BT Sports to work together to allow players more time to recover.
But that section of his debrief was omitted from UK screens, with fans only aware of the German’s comments when it was aired globally.
Asked about his substitutions, he said: “Why we change late is because we constantly have to think that someone will go down with an injury.
“We cannot change early, because if someone goes down and then you get a muscle injury, you end with nine players. That’s the truth and nothing else.
“It was never about us when I talked about it, it was about all the players. It was about the England players, all the players that play European Championships next summer.
“If you [Sky] don’t start talking to BT [Sport] we are all done.
If you [Sky] don’t start talking to BT [Sport] we are all done. I know you [the broadcasters] don’t care and that’s the problem
Jurgen Klopp
“Sky and BT have to talk because if we keep playing on Wednesday and Saturday [at] 12:30, I’m not sure if we will finish the season with 11 players. All the top six and seven.
“I know you [the broadcasters] don’t care and that’s the problem.
“It’s not wrong. We’ve discussed it for a long time and nothing’s happened. Everybody tells me it’s difficult here, it’s difficult there. It’s really difficult for the players, that’s what is difficult. The rest is just a decision on a desk in an office, and that’s not difficult for me.
“I’m happy about the game tonight, but we lost another midfielder. That’s the situation. But it’s not about us, I can only say it one more time. Whoever calls me selfish, has to ask himself who is selfish, but it’s not about that.
Klopp was furious after Naby Keita added to his injury woesCredit: AP:Associated Press
The midfielder was forced off during Liverpool’s win over LeicesterCredit: AP:Associated Press
“I want to discuss things calm, the only problem is, maybe it’s my language, is everyone says ‘he talks about Liverpool’.
“I don’t talk about Liverpool, I talk about all the football players out there. Yesterday, [Gerard] Pique, massive knee injury. Today, [Bukayo] Saka, maybe, I’m not sure, a knee injury – he played all three games for England during the international break, and today’s football.
“Now people tell us to rotate players but who? We have some offensive players but the rest are kids. That’s how it is. It’s all OK. We fight with all we have. But that’s how it is. But if you don’t start talking, you will see what happens.
“It’s a massive problem. Wednesday and Saturday 12:30 is a broadcaster problem and nothing else. People tell me if we want to change, then we need to schedule a meeting. For what? Then you give us money back?
“We two teams who play Champions League on Tuesday night. We have two teams who play Champions League on Wednesday night, then we have teams in the European League on Thursday night.
Now people tell us to rotate players but who? We have some offensive players but the rest are kids. That’s how it is.
Jurgen Klopp
“So what you do, because you pick first and then BT picks us.
“We play against Atalanta on Wednesday and then 12:30 [Saturday] against Brighton.
“It’s an early Christmas present. We will show up there shaking. I think about sending the points. That’s how it is, because you go there, you can always lose a football game, that’s of course possible, that’s how it is.
“But it’s the problem. We cannot change 11 players. It’s just not possible. We can’t just show up, we have to win football games. That’s how it is. Gentlemen, start talking and start making decisions.
“If someone tells me again about contracts I’ll go really nuts.
“Because these contracts aren’t made for a Covid season.
“We all have to adapt. You adapt, we adapt. Who’d have thought a year ago we have to go with a face mask like this. Everything’s changed, but the contracts with the broadcasters is still: ‘We have this, so we keep this’.
“What? Everything changed, the whole world changed! That’s it!”
Klopp discusses his players after Liverpool’s victory against Leicester
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
