Jurgen Klopp blasts ‘madness’ of fixture scheduling & fires fresh warning at UEFA & FIFA

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Jurgen Klopp has described the lack of a genuine break for this year’s players featuring at the World Cup in winter as ‘madness’.

The Merseysiders are fortunate to have a number of top internationals who will get a rest ahead of the resumption of domestic football in the second-half of the campaign, including the likes of Mo Salah and Andy Robertson.

“For some, there will be a pre-season for the long second part of the season, which is good,” the German was quoted as saying by BBC Sport“But usually, after every tournament you have a long break. This time you play again one week [later]. Madness.”

The former Borussia Dortmund tactician was keen still to warn football’s governing bodies against mismanaging player welfare to the point of harming the sport.

“UEFA and FIFA have to be careful with what they both really want,” Klopp continued. “If you have tired players in tournaments, you don’t have high quality.”

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It’s a drum some feel Klopp has banged too loudly and too incessantly, yet the increasing demands placed on players has been vocalised by footballers themselves with Real Madrid No.1, Thibaut Courtois, previously questioning the number of games played.

Thibaut Courtois accused UEFA and FIFA of prioritising money over player welfare after the Nations League third-place playoff

It’s a serious question that has to be asked: is a multitude of new games worthwhile if the quality dips?

If both UEFA and FIFA answer to the affirmative, one can only presume that the finances around the sport is the motivating factor.

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