Jurgen Klopp attacks state of English football and ‘overworked’ Premier League

Outgoing Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp launched a lengthy and wide-ranging attack on the state of English football after claiming the Premier League is “overworked not overrated”.

Klopp’s side were one of a number of English clubs who failed to get past the quarter-final stage in Europe this season, with Aston Villa – the last team standing – looking like they will struggle to reach the final of the Europa Conference League after a 4-2 first-leg defeat to Olympiacos.

The Reds boss has been a long-term critic of fixture scheduling and the workloads put on players across the season, but as he prepares to leave the club at the end of the campaign he has let rip with his thoughts on the state of the game in England.

“Aston Villa lost last night 4-2 means that if they go out then no English team is in any European final,” said Klopp.

“You will all talk about it if you don’t decrease the intensity for the players. If you make of that fact that English teams are not in a final (because) we all underperformed, I am not sure about that.

“That might be in moments – us against Atalanta – but in general, I watch a lot of football all over the world and the Premier League is the best league in the world.

“That (Manchester) City and Arsenal are out in the quarter-finals, it is just not a reflection, that we are out in the quarter-finals is not a real reflection of quality but that we could not deliver on the day we had to.

“It is not overrated, it is overworked. Easy as that. You can talk about that until everyone realises that but someone obviously needs to help the people. That is a little advice from an old man on the way out.”

No organisation associated with football escaped Klopp’s broadside as he took a swipe at broadcasters,