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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has spoken out about how he is pleased that fixture congestion is ‘not his problem’ anymore. The German is set to leave the Reds at the end of the season and hopes to bow out by guiding his side to Premier League glory.
Following a victory in the Carabao Cup final, Liverpool had a chance of landing a quadruple this season. They bowed out of the FA Cup last month before a crushing 3-0 defeat to Atalanta in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-finals and a 1-0 loss at the hands of Crystal Palace last week severely dented their hopes on the other two fronts.
The Reds were eliminated from the Europa League last night (Thursday), with Mohamed Salah scoring the only goal at the Gewiss Stadium from the penalty spot. Though Liverpool aren’t the only team to have tasted defeat on the European stage this week.
Arsenal and Manchester City were both knocked out of the Champions League earlier in the week, with West Ham losing to Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League as well – meaning that Aston Villa are the last-standing English club, albeit in the European Conference League. And even they were taken to a penalty shootout.
Watch all the Premier League and Champions League drama unfold on TNT Sports
Fitness has been blamed for the mass exodus of Premier League outfits in Europe, with teams struggling to cope with the demands of all competitions. Klopp has been one of the most vocal managers on the matter of fixture congestion in years gone by.
But this time the ex-Borussia Dortmund manager was reluctant to air his frustrations on Thursday night when asked if it will impact the title race.
Asked whether it will be ‘fresh legs or tactics’ that are decisive, Klopp explained: “It’s always a mix of all. Imagine we wouldn’t be tired but with a s*** tactical plan, not so sophisticated. Or the other way round, a great plan and tired.
“It is the best league in the world, I have watched a lot of football and whatever other leagues say, Italy has improved, Spain is fantastic, Bundesliga is there, but the Premier League is the most intense league, definitely.
“Besides Villa, all the teams are out in the quarter-finals. Because of extra European games, they are getting rid of FA Cup replays. It’s just tricky but it’s not my problem any more.
“It’s my last European game and I’ll watch it and hopefully not speak any more about these kind of things. It’s a tough period and has to be tough. Three teams are going to try to win the Premier League.
“If that would be easy then something would be completely wrong. It was always a mix of sophisticated plans and physical and mental freshness.”
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