Jurgen Klopp not willing to engage in fresh debate over Premier League fixtures

Complaining about the tough fixture schedule over the festive period is a waste of time, according to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

The Reds head to Brighton for a Saturday 12.30 kick-off after a midweek Champions League match – one of his pet hates – and have been given a similar Wednesday-Saturday turnaround next month when they play Tottenham and Crystal Palace.

However, having regularly spoken about his objections to it, Klopp was in no mood to talk about the subject with limited time to prepare ahead of the Seagulls match.

“I’ve got 25 hours now to prepare for a game. Whatever I say doesn’t help so I’ll stop talking about it. It changes nothing. It’s just a waste of time,” he said.

“My thoughts are clear but this isn’t the time for me to speak about it. The last thing I want is to create a headline but you say I’ve given up.

“I speak in a general way. A general problem. Wednesday/Saturday 12.30, you have to ask other people why they do that. I don’t have the answer.”

A packed Christmas schedule has been a staple of English football for years, and it had been feared 2020-21 could be especially problematic after the season started late due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, no club has a gap between games of less than 48 hours and only four clubs have a gap of exactly 48 hours.

Last season, for comparison, five clubs had a gap of less than 48 hours and six clubs had a gap of exactly 48 hours.