The Liverpool boss believes that Three Lions players could be exhausted when they report for Euro 2020 duty next summer
Jurgen Klopp says England boss Gareth Southgate will suffer if the Premier League doesn’t change its rules to allow five substitutes per game.
The Liverpool head coach has been vocal in his belief that the league must change from three to five allowed subs per game, citing the fixture congestion in the coronavirus-shortened 2020-21 season.
Liverpool have already suffered a number of key injuries this season, which has infuriated the German head coach as he believes they have been caused in part by fixture congestion and the lack of extra subs available.
Klopp has now warned that if the rules aren’t changed, Southgate’s side will pay the price at next summer’s rescheduled Euro 2020 tournament.
“I’m sure we will discuss it early again, because of the influence of three subs,” said Klopp. “Now pretty much all teams have to play every three days, it will be massive for everybody from now on and every team will feel the difference. Next summer it will be a problem for Gareth Southgate.
“All of the players Gareth wants to pick play [European] football most of them, pretty much all. Most of them are playing three times a week, to do that from February, on again, and play three times a week all the time. Gareth will get what we give him if we stick with three subs.”
Klopp has been involved in a continuing feud with Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder, who is in favour of maintaining three subs per game because he believes allowing more subs would benefit bigger clubs with deeper squads like Liverpool.
As fixtures begin to pick up through the busy festive period, though, Klopp has warned that even coaches of smaller clubs will regret not supporting a proposal to allow five subs per game.
“Football, now the most intense period starts for all teams. From now on pretty much all the teams play every three days,” Klopp added.
“And some teams will realise now how tough it is, and that is why we still have to talk about the five subs even though we didn’t vote yesterday. It will be massive for everybody from now on and every team will feel the difference.”
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