Klopp: Player welfare is being ignored and will affect England at Euros

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

VIDEO SHOWS: NEWS CONFERENCE WITH LIVERPOOL MANAGER JUERGEN KLOPP / LIVERPOOL TRAINING

SHOWS: LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (NOVEMBER 30, 2020) (UEFA - NO RESALES. NO COMMERCIAL USE. MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY "©UEFA 2020")

1. VARIOUS OF LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, ARRIVING FOR TRAINING

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (DECEMBER 4, 2020) (REUTERS- ACCESS ALL)

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, ON PREMIER LEAGUE SHAREHOLDERS NOT VOTING TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SUBSTITUTIONS PER GAME TO FIVE, SAYING:

"I was not surprised because I knew about it. I think that information speaks for itself. Nobody thought it would go through. I told you about the fact, that in the managers' meeting [in November], if we would have voted that day, which we were not allowed to, it would have been through 100% with 15 or 16 votes, whatever. That it hasn't happen since then is a sign some shareholders and some CEOs and sporting directors see differently to their managers. That is not a good sign, to be honest, because it shows these people now really ignore player welfare. Coaches don't do that anymore, but these people do it, and that's not okay, but if you don't have a chance to vote for it, you have to accept it for the moment. But because it is about player welfare, by the way, mental health and physical health, it is the full package, we will not stop fighting for it because it is just the right thing to do."

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (NOVEMBER 30, 2020) (UEFA - NO RESALES. NO COMMERCIAL USE. MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY "©UEFA 2020")

3. VARIOUS OF LIVERPOOL SQUAD WARMING UP

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (DECEMBER 4, 2020) (REUTERS- ACCESS ALL)

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, ON IMPACT OF ONLY 3 SUBS ON ENGLAND IN EUROS, SAYING:

"And next summer, it will become a problem for (England manager) Gareth Southgate because all of the players Gareth wants to pick play international football, most of them, pretty much all. Most of them are playing three times a week, will do that from February, on again, and play three times a week all the time. So, Gareth will get what we can give him and if we stick with three subs, he has a problem then, so it is an FA problem."

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (NOVEMBER 30, 2020) (UEFA - NO RESALES. NO COMMERCIAL USE. MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY "©UEFA 2020")

5. LIVERPOOL'S, DIOGO JOTA, PASSING BALL

6. LIVERPOOL'S, MOHAMED SALAH, PASSING BALL

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (DECEMBER 4, 2020) (REUTERS- ACCESS ALL)

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, ON FANS RETURNING TO STADIUMS, SAYING:

"I hope it will be a great experience for all of us, to be honest, but I don't know. I said before, as a player, I played very often in front of 2,000 people and they were not always in the best mood to be honest. So, 2,000 people can create a bad mood. I remember that very well. But after that long break, I think our fans will be in the best possible shape. But we have always said that when you go to Anfield it is not important how many you are, it's all about how big your influence will be and I hope that 2,000 people can be really influential, to be honest. That they really help, first and foremost, they have to enjoy the game. I hope that if they see the first pass which will not arrive from player A to player B that they think 'Oh my God, again!' stuff like this. They just should be happy that they are in the stadium again. I am very happy that we have them there and let's make the best of it."

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (NOVEMBER 30, 2020) (UEFA - NO RESALES. NO COMMERCIAL USE. MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY "©UEFA 2020")

8. LIVERPOOL'S, ANDY ROBERTSON, PASSING BALL

9. LIVERPOOL'S, JORDAN HENDERSON, JOGGING AND PASSING BALL

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (DECEMBER 4, 2020) (REUTERS- ACCESS ALL)

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, ON WOLVES, SAYING:

"Because it's good, it's just good and when you play them they don't even play like the 7th of the League, they play an absolutely top team. They have now, especially last year, they had the Europa League to deal with and they did it exceptionally well to be honest. Played there well and then that's a really tough task even after getting promoted only a year ago before that. So, absolutely outstanding. And (Wolverhampton coach) Nuno is doing an exceptional job, top top recruitment, quite a few players from Portugal. It's clear with all the people working there in the club, but top top players and I've nothing bad to say about them. System slightly not sure if they will play against us like this that makes it even more tricky, but you don't know exactly what they will do. They don't know exactly what we will do, which is good. So, same situation. Let's play the game."

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (NOVEMBER 30, 2020) (UEFA - NO RESALES. NO COMMERCIAL USE. MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY "©UEFA 2020")

11. SALAH AND DIVOCK ORIGI PASSING BALL

STORY: Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp said on Friday (December 4) he was disappointed that Premier League shareholders did not vote to increase the number of substitutions per game to five and said England would suffer at the Euros due to the congested match schedule.

England's top flight returned to three substitutions per game this season even though the option was on the table to continue with five, a temporary rule other top European leagues have implemented after the pandemic condensed their seasons.

"It's not a good sign. It shows they ignore player welfare," Klopp told reporters ahead of Sunday's (December 6) match against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"Nobody thought (the vote) would go through. The facts were if we voted (last month) it would have gone through, but that it hasn't happened since is a sign the shareholders see it different to their managers.

"All teams will have to play every three days now... Next summer it will be a problem for (England manager) Gareth Southgate. Most of them have played so far three times a week, so Gareth will get what we can give him, and that's an FA problem."

Liverpool have been hit by a number of injuries to key players, but Klopp said right back Trent Alexander-Arnold and midfielder Naby Keita could make their returns.

(Production: Oliver Regan)