LIVERPOOL – The FA are on a collision course with Premier League clubs after Jurgen Klopp revealed FA Cup fourth-round replays have been scheduled during the winter break.
Liverpool’s manager has argued that players are in danger of burnout due to the demands placed upon them, and he felt the break scheduled for February would be beneficial to all.
The idea is for 10 Premier League clubs to have the first week of February off, with the other 10 getting a break the following week. Liverpool’s is scheduled from February 1 to February 8.
But should they beat Everton in the FA Cup third round and then draw in the fourth round, the replay would be scheduled in the middle of Liverpool’s hiatus. It has led a bewildered Klopp to label the situation ‘incredible’.
Klopp (right) told ESPN: ‘The problem we have is the Premier League have decided we have a winter break and the FA decided you play the replay in that week.
‘It’s incredible. It’s just in the winter break. That’s when they set the game. OK, how is that possible? Nobody speaks about these things. I really don’t understand that. We can’t do more games.
‘The problem we have now is nobody speaks enough. We don’t speak enough to each other so the Premier League, the Football League, the FA, UEFA, FIFA, everyone is planning their own things and nobody follows that so there is no common schedule.’
An FA spokesperson said: ‘The FA has worked hard to ensure the introduction of a winter break for Premier League clubs this season. Clubs will be given a free weekend on February 8-9 or February 15-16. We will work with the Premier League and the clubs to ensure every team gets a winter break.’