January 20 – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has come out fuming over the decision to move the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations to January, calling it a “catastrophe” for his club.
Africa’s showpiece tournament was originally due to be held in June and July next year but, due to weather conditions in host nation Cameroon at that time, it has been switched back to where the competition was previously – in January and February, right in the middle of the European league season.
The current runaway Premier League leaders will be among the worst affected with Mohamed Salah (Egypt), Sadio Mane (Senegal) and Naby Keita (Guinea) all potentially unavailable during that period and Klopp denounced organisers for making the announcement without consulting players or clubs.
“I couldn’t respect Africa Cup of Nations more than I do, I like it, I’ve watched it a lot with difficult circumstances a lot of times,” he said. “But it’s an obvious problem playing it in the middle of the season. For us it’s a catastrophe. If we say [a player] can’t go, he’s suspended. How can the club who pay his salary not decide?
“These are all things that should not be like this. I speak about it now and no one will listen. They will say, ‘the moaner from Liverpool again’. It’s a complete waste of time, [but] as long as nothing changes, I will keep saying it. It’s about the players, not me.”
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