Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp mulls League Cup pullout over hectic schedule

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp on Thursday warned that the European champions could pull out of the Carabao Cup if the Football Association (FA) and English Football League (EFL) do not help sort out the club's hectic fixture schedule. Klopp's comments came after Liverpool's win against Arsenal at Anfield. The Reds reached the last eight of the competition after a penalty shootout with Arsenal that followed after a remarkable 5-5 draw at Anfield. The quarter-finals of the tournament are scheduled for the week commencing December 16, 2019. During that week, the Liverpool will be in Qatar to play in the FIFA Club World Cup tournament.

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Klopp fielded a young and inexperienced side against Unai Emery’s much-changed Arsenal but despite his young players doing him proud, he has now admitted Liverpool could forfeit their quarter-final tie. Fixture congestion aside, Klopp was touched by the performance of a side containing five teenagers as Liverpool came back twice from two goals down.

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Klopp criticises hectic match fixtures

The Premier League and the EFL have been in talks with clubs over switching a potential quarter-final involving Liverpool to the week commencing from January 6, 2020, in which the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals have been originally scheduled. Klopp insists Liverpool will not play any further part in the Carabao Cup should the eventual date complicate an already demanding workload. Given Liverpool’s Premier League priorities - a fixture with West Ham has already been postponed because of the competition - Klopp is in no mood to compromise his title ambitions if he thinks the demands on his players are too much. 

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Klopp insists that the EFL have to make a decision and be proactive in the future when creating a fixtures list. It seems highly unlikely that the EFL would run the risk of allowing Klopp to abandon the competition, considering the commercial and television appeal the record eight-time winners of the competition carry.

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