Liverpool’s Europa League involvement could cause fixture issues next season

With the Premier League fixtures being released today, it’s important to consider the implications that the Europa League and Europa Conference League will have on the scheduling across Liverpool’s season.

The Reds will compete in the Europa League for the first time since Jurgen Klopp’s first season in charge thanks to a fifth-place finish last season. Whilst fans may be slightly underwelmed by the prospect of the second-tier of European competition, it is the only trophy that Klopp is yet to secure during his time at the club. Their final appearance in 2016 saw them fall to a 3-1 loss to Sevilla and this season could be a chance to finally complete the set.

Considering that the fixtures have all now been set out for the league, it’s important to remember that those fixtures are subject to change, as the two domestic cups and European competitions must be worked in around those dates. And for Liverpool, Brighton, Aston Villa and West Ham - it means their fixture lists are going to change, a lot.

England boasts eight teams in European competitions, with the Champions League teams facing off on Tuesday and Wednesday nights and the rest of the teams competing on Thursday nights. For the Thursday night group, they will often play league games on Sundays or Mondays - which can take its toll across the course of a season, dependning how big a squad you possess. Unlike in other countries such as France, Germany or Spain who cater for teams in European competitions, often allowing them to play on Friday’s or early on Saturday to accomodate such obligations.

A recent example of a team who struggled for league form as a result of their European involvement was West Ham. They languished near the bottom of the table for most of the season only to pull away in the final few months, but they also went unbeaten across their winning-Europa Conference League campaign. Liverpool will have to ensure they rotate effectively to avoid any issues, especially given the injury-prone players that exist within their squad.

There’s also the broadcasters who will want to have the bigger-name teams such as Liverpool on their television coverage more frequently, given that they draw bigger audiences. This would mean more TV slots for Klopp’s side such as Saturday at 12.30, 17:30, Sunday 13:30, 16:30 and Monday’s at 20:00.

Essentially, the fixture lists are going to change and it’s going to result in tough schedules across the season for Liverpool, who are expected to go deep into the Europa League knockout stages; expect Klopp to passionately address fixture scheduling multiple times across the season during his press conferences and interviews, as we’ve seen in the past.