The head coach of Liverpool’s football club, Jurgen Klopp, is just the latest manager of the English Premier League manager to voice his frustrations with only being permitted to execute 3 – substitutions during a game especially when it is a busy time where many team are being hit hard by COVID – 19 cases.
The English Premier League (EPL) is just one of the very few top leagues that has decided to remain opposed to allowing 5 – substitutions for football contests. Moving from 3 – substitutions per match to 5 – substitutions per game was implemented back in May of 2020 to help clubs better deal with the busy schedule as football resumed after a suspension of play because of the COVID – 19 pandemic, and this change has remained on a more permanent basis by many other top football leagues in Europe.
English teams voted to go back to 3 – subs for last season as well as the current season. However, the issue has been revisited lately due to the recent COVID – 19 outbreaks in various clubs throughout the last month as there has been an increase in positive tests for the coronavirus especially in cases of the omicron variant where it spreads quickly and easily.
The English Premier League is the only one of the major football leagues in Europe to be playing matches over the holiday period as some clubs have found themselves playing 3 – matches over the course of 7 – days. Although the EPL is still operating right now several matches have had to be postponed due to the heavy COVID – 19 outbreaks on some teams.
The EPL has now cancelled 15 – games in only two and a half weeks because of coronavirus related issues. The last affected match was between Leeds and Aston Villa as well as Arsenal and Wolverhampton both of those contests were set to be played on Tuesday, December 28th, 2021.
Liverpool’s manager, Klopp, has seen 4 – players including Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, and Curtis Jones all forced to be sidelined from game action over the last couple of weeks following their positive COVID – 19 test results, but now these guys are back training and may play versus Leicester on Tuesday, December 28th, 2021.
Klopp acknowledged that things are seemingly not going to change for the betterment of the English Premier League, which features some smaller clubs that feel that they are at a major disadvantage in comparison with teams such as Manchester City and Liverpool who have greater depth of players within their football organizations. Oh well not much can be done here unless the EPL makes changes to their current substitution rules.
Media Statements
“This wonderful game is so wonderful because usually the player on the pitch is in good shape, is well trained, is well recovered and can go for it. That’s why we love the game. But now the situation is clear … The best league in the world and the most intense league in the world is the only league in Europe with still three subs. It’s not right,” the head coach of Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, proclaimed.
“Especially in this moment, you bring players back after a COVID infection or after an injury and because of the games you have to play, they have to play immediately,” Klopp goes on to say. “Then you cannot get them (off the field) after 60 minutes because you have to change others, that kind of thing. It’s a real problem.”
“We are not protecting the players,” the head coach of Chelsea, Thomas Tuchel, explained, “because we are the only league who doesn’t have five changes. We are filling holes where we can fill them. We are struggling. We’re pressing our players. I have maximum respect for what the players did. We do changes because of injuries. We don’t change for tactical reasons anymore.”
“We are putting too much demand on the players,” the assistant manager of Aston Villa, Gary McAllister, said.
Sources:
Douglas, Steve. “Klopp frustrated at EPL’s 3 – sub rule as COVID – 19 cases bite”. The Associated Press. December 27, 2021.