Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted his personal hatred of the international breaks that happen during the club football season.
The German tactician revealed in an interview with The Athletic that situations when his players are away representing their countries ‘kill’ him as he hates not knowing what’s going on with their fitness.
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He specifically mentions Liverpool forward Sadio Mane going off in a game for Senegal, and it’s a frustration many Reds fans and indeed fans of other clubs will share.
“I hate the internationals! From a personal point of view, I just hate it,” he said.
“Sadio Mane played in Swaziland (for Senegal). You know nothing about games like this. He went off straight after half-time and you are thinking ‘oh’. These are the situations that kill me, to be honest.
“It’s just not knowing about what is exactly happening, trying to find out what we can do, what we have to do. As soon as Sadio got a phone we could get in contact but he’s the player, he’s not the guy who organises everything else around it. Dealing with things like this is not cool.
“That’s why the last game before an international break is always difficult for me. The final whistle goes and then I’m thinking ‘now they leave’. That’s the biggest problem in my working life.”
There have already been three international breaks at this early stage in the season, though thankfully the Euro 2020 qualification campaign is now done and there won’t be any more disruptions to the club season for another four months.
Klopp will certainly be a happy man, and it’s refreshing to hear a Premier League manager be so honest about the fixture schedule that has long been irritating for most fans as well.