Jurgen Klopp: Ask the Premier League Clubs Who Voted Against Five Match Rule Substitutions | Football news

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp does not believe the introduction of nine players to the bench is a compromise after Premier League clubs voted against allowing teams to make five substitutions per game for the third time in a meeting. shareholders on Thursday.

Klopp had called the move a “necessity” as the Premier League is currently the only major league in Europe that has not kept the five-substitute limit that was introduced when domestic football resumed towards the end of last season.

But after again failing to reach the 14-vote threshold at a meeting of all 20 clubs, Klopp said it was better to ask the 10 clubs that rejected the ruling.

“They’re two different decisions. I’m not sure it’s a compromise,” Klopp said, and teams can now name nine players to the bench this weekend, up from seven before. “I can’t do you a favor to make headlines, everyone knows what I think about it.

“You have to ask other people. There were 10 clubs that voted against. It was not about advantages, just the welfare of the players. Only they voted against in Europe, in the world.

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“There must be a reason for this. All clubs want to stay in the league, some win the league, but this is practically the only league, because the Championship decided differently. It is not for me to give an answer.”

‘Thiago will not rush back’

Thiago Alcantara is close to coming back from the knee injury he sustained in his first and only Premier League start at Everton in October. The midfielder was photographed training at Kirkby this week, though Klopp says they won’t make him return.

Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s Saturday noon game at Crystal Palace, Klopp added: “He’s [eager to return]. We already made jokes here, I think we should sign Thiago for January. It’s getting closer and closer, it’s a good trail, but we won’t rush it, we can’t rush it. You won’t because you are not allowed to rush.

“It’s good to have him training, doing a lot of things, but he’s not training as a team yet. That’s the final step. We’ll see. Next week, will he be able to train as a team? I don’t know 100%. He has to pass some tests. in the field until we make that decision. With Milly [James Milner], Shaq [Xherdan Shaqiri] it will be similar “.

Thiago, meanwhile, said Liverpoolfc.com is not aiming for a return date: “No, we just go step by step. We always try [do it] as if we had a wall in front of us, saying ‘OK, you have to take a step back before you can move forward’.

“Now we think we are in a good mood and looking forward to the end of the year to try to train at another time with the team.”

Klopp’s surprise by turning Flick into the best coach

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On Thursday night, Klopp was named best male coach at the Best FIFA awards for the second year in a row.

Klopp beat out competition from Leeds coach Marcelo Bielsa and Bayern Munich’s Hansi Flick, who were the other finalists for the award, after following Liverpool’s triumph in the 2018-2019 Champions League by winning the 2019 Premier League. twenty.

“I’m grateful for it, obviously,” Klopp said. “At first I was looking a bit wide-eyed, like ‘How did that happen?’, I didn’t expect it, not at all. I thought Hansi Flick won almost everything in the last year, and that [him winning] would be the case.

“I wanted to be there to show respect because last year in Milan was a very nice event. (Mauricio) Pochettino was there too, so I thought if he was nominated again, he would show up even if I don’t have a chance to win it.

“I know there are four different categories, coaches around the world, the majority voted for me, the players also, the media and the fans. It is not my choice, I am happy about that, it is something special for my coaches and for me. I already saw them and they are buzzing.

“If you had asked me if you are the best coach in the world, I would have said no. If you had asked me if you have the best coaches in the world around you, I would have said yes.”