The manager of Liverpool football club, Jurgen Klopp, is not happy that his team would have to play against Manchester City at the Wembley Stadium on Saturday, April 16, 2022.
Manchester City and Liverpool will play the FA Cup semi-final at the Wembley Stadium on the said date. Unfortunately, the match is coming up at the Wembley Stadium at a time when the railway line connecting London to other parts of England is under renovation.
Fans of Manchester City and Liverpool have been protesting against the FA’s decision to hold the FA Cup game at the Wembley Stadium.
Due to their protest, the English FA had to announce that the FA will provide buses for both the fans of Manchester City and Liverpool. The buses are expected to convey the fans to London and back to Manchester and Liverpool after the game. The arrangement is expected to convey at least 5,000 Liverpool and Manchester City fans for the game.
The fans are expected to pre-register ahead of the game to be able to have access to the buses. This means that they will have to purchase the match ticket in good time.
Despite the arrangement, Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp described the FA’s decision to host the FA semi-final game at the Wembley Stadium as “one of the most ridiculous stories I ever heard”.
The FA Cup semi-final game is expected to kick off at 15:30 on Saturday, April 16, 2022. In his reaction to FA’s decision to host the game at the Wembley Stadium when railway lines connecting London are under renovation, Jurgen Klopp said the FA knew that the renovation will take place 18 months before the season’s FA Cup semi-final.
The German tactician said: “I heard that they know it for 18 months. I’m not sure what the FA thought. No club from the northwest will be part of the semi-finals? I really can’t believe that things like this can happen with all the information you have out there.
“I heard the FA – probably we’ll do it as well – put on some coaches on the road, but what is it, usually four and a half hours to London, it will be then 12 probably because all the coaches are in the same direction. It makes absolutely no sense.
“I’m not sure when they had to decide when are the semi-finals. I think there would have been probably another weekend between the Champions League games. At least then all the fans could have gone to Wembley and now they can’t, or it’s more difficult.
“On the other hand, how I know our people, they will find a way. I’m just really not happy that somebody made it complicated for them. It should be easier to go and see your football team in a semi-final.”
🗣 “It’s one of the most ridiculous stories I’ve ever heard.” 😡
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 2, 2022
Jurgen Klopp is angry with the decision to make Liverpool and Manchester City play their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley when there are no trains running from the North West pic.twitter.com/bimKVvqVVS
Chelsea and Crystal Palace will also play their FA Cup semi-final tie at the Wembley Stadium on April 17. The match will kick off at 16:30.
The Chelsea tie with Crystal Palace is not an issue because the two clubs are based in London. Hence, the fans will not benefit from the FA’s arrangement to convey Liverpool and Manchester City fans to the Wembley Stadium.
Just like coach Jurgen Klopp who is not happy with the FA’s arrangement to hold the FA Cup semi-final match at the Wembley Stadium, Liverpool’s captain, Jordan Henderson is not also happy with the arrangement.
The English veteran midfielder said “I’ve been thinking a bit more about the fans. In many ways, it’s their day, and not being able to get down to London for different reasons – the cost of that.
“In my head, it would make sense obviously to change it to a (different) neutral venue, especially with it being two teams from the northwest.”
Before the FA Cup game, Manchester City will play against Liverpool in a Premier League game scheduled to take place on April 10. The match will kick off at 16:30.
The Premier League game could be a title decider because Manchester City are currently topping the table with 70 points in 29 games. While Liverpool are currently second with 69 points in 29 games.
If the table remains this way until April 10, the winner of the game between Liverpool and Manchester City could be seen as the main contender for the Premier League title.
