The Premier League will continue with three substitutions again as top clubs couldn’t get the required number of votes to change it to five.
Other top European clubs are using five substitutions due to the congested fixtures after the return of football from the coronavirus break. But England reverted to three substitutions from the beginning of the 2020-21 season and top clubs have been suffering the brunt of it with injuries and fatigue.
The other clubs that appear to be in the lower cadre voted against the five substitutions as they see it as an advantage to the bigger clubs that have more quality players on their bench than them.
But Klopp, whose side has suffered alot of injuries this season criticizes Premier League clubs for voting against five substitutes for the third time.
The clubs however voted to increase the number of players allowed on the bench from seven to nine, which was also allowed when the Premier League 2019-20 season resumed as part of Project Restart in June.
Klopp has further reiterated his call for players’ welfare by criticizing Premier League executives for ignoring it. Liverpool is currently without several key players through injury, including defenders Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, midfielder Thiago Alcantara and forward Diogo Jota.
“I’m not sure it’s a compromise. Everybody knows my opinions about it. Everyone knows 10 clubs voted against it. It was not about advantages, it was only about player welfare. And they voted against it.
“Pretty much only they voted against them in the whole world.
“I don’t know which other leagues only have three subs. There must be a good reason for it, for all these leagues and clubs to vote for it.”
New changes to number of players on the bench in Premier League as number of substitutions remain three
Since there was a vote on the increased number of players on the bench, the new measure comes into effect from matchday 14, which begins on Saturday.
Equally puzzled by the outcome on the vote on substitutions, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said the move “doesn’t make a lot of sense”.
“At the moment no, because the most important thing is the welfare of the players and the best way to protect them and have options to protect them is to have the option to extend the substitutes.
“We [the Premier League] are the only ones doing that [in Europe]. For me it doesn’t make a lot of sense.
“But we are pushing, we are giving a lot of stats, giving our opinions. We have a lot of stats to support what’s happening in the Premier League in terms of injuries but still there is no reaction.”
The Premier League clubs have taken their decisions, but at the end of the day it is the players, especially those playing weekly that suffer.
During the festive period, there will be a flurry of games in the English Premier League. For instance, three games will be played in ten days. Such will be the case afterward till the new year.
Clubs outside European competition applauded three substitutions as they have less number of games to play. This means the top six clubs will have to continue to cope with the schedule as they continue to have more players in the treatment room.
