Premier League giants in bitter row with Sky, BT and Amazon over Christmas TV fixtures

[davieG 17,628]

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league-december-tv-row-23064445

 

Confirmation of the December TV games is expected later this week but a number of clubs are fuming that they face the prospect of playing three times in seven days

ByMatt MaltbySports Journalist
07:55, 25 NOV 2020UPDATED07:57, 25 NOV 2020

The December TV fixture list announcement has been delayed as Premier League clubs are locked in crisis talks with broadcasters.

The TV giants were hoping to announce next month's games on Tuesday but clubs have been contesting the pile-up of fixtures, which has caused an untimely delay.

According to The Mirror, confirmation is expected later this week but a number of clubs are fuming that they face the prospect of playing three games in seven days.

Some could even play twice in the space of 72 hours, with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp among the high-profile figures to already publicly slam this season's gruelling schedule.

Sky Sports are pencilled in for the pick of the Boxing Day games, while Amazon and BT Sport have December 28th and New Year's Day respectively.

But all games are being shown live, meaning the TV giants are trying to move dates to squeeze them all in, and that has left some of the bigger clubs furious.

The top-flight's giants, for example, have regularly voiced concern over playing in Europe on Wednesday night and then having to play in the Saturday lunchtime clash.

Talks are ongoing, although broadcasters are believed to be annoyed at the public criticism aimed at them by the likes of Klopp.

 

"It was never about us when I talked about it, it was about all the players. If you don't start talking to BT [Sport] we are all done," Klopp told Sky Sports

"Sky and BT have to talk because if we keep playing on Wednesday and Saturday [at] 12:30, I'm not sure if we will finish the season with 11 players.

"I know you [the broadcasters] don't care and that's the problem. We've discussed it for a long time and nothing's happened.

"I don't talk about Liverpool, I talk about all the football players out there. Yesterday, [Gerard] Pique massive knee injury. Today, [Bukayo] Saka, maybe, I'm not sure, a knee injury - he played all three games for England during the international break.

 

"Now people tell us to rotate players but who? We have some offensive players but the rest are kids.

"It's a massive problem. Wednesday and Saturday 12:30 is a broadcaster problem and nothing else. We play against Atalanta on Wednesday and then 12:30 [Saturday] against Brighton. It's an early Christmas present. We will show up there shaking. I think about sending the points. That's how it is.

"Gentlemen, start talking and making decisions. I like the relationship with you. If someone tells me again about contracts I'll go really nuts. Because these contracts aren't made for a Covid season.

"We all have to adapt. Everything's changed, but the contracts with the broadcasters is still: 'We have this, so we keep this'. What? Everything changed, the whole world changed!"

[Les-TA-Jon 1,156]

3 games in 7 days over the festive period. Isn't that what happens every year? 

[yorkie1999 4,629]

Simple answer is to block players from international duty.

[Steve_Guppy_Left_Foot 1,302]

3 games in 7 days. We're doing that this week. We do that most weeks. Don't get it. 

[HighPeakFox 11,356]

Just now, Steve_Guppy_Left_Foot said:

3 games in 7 days. We're doing that this week. We do that most weeks. Don't get it. 

We don't - we do 2 matches per week, on average. Unless playing Sunday somehow counts double...

[AKCJ 15,250]

4 minutes ago, Les-TA-Jon said:

3 games in 7 days over the festive period. Isn't that what happens every year? 

3 games in 7 days has happened over Christmas for as long as I can remember.

 

It's not rare to have 3 games in 6 days either.

[AKCJ 15,250]

1 minute ago, HighPeakFox said:

We don't - we do 2 matches per week, on average. Unless playing Sunday somehow counts double...

I've seen this argument on here plenty of times. Always makes me laugh.

[RowlattsFox 2,474]

Its same counter argument given to Lampard last week. Liverpool play on Sunday instead and he's then moaning about playing next Tuesday and so on...Wednesday to Saturday is enough time to recover given they are at home on Wednesday. 

 

They never offer any argument as to when these games should be played. I agree that the Christmas fixtures is ridiculous, 20 need to play 0n 28th when we play Boxing day, but you can bet Liverpool and co will  be laying their game on the 29th/30th.  

[volpeazzurro 3,656]

21 minutes ago, yorkie1999 said:

Simple answer is to block players from international duty.

Agreed,  but are they allowed to do that?

[HighPeakFox 11,356]

16 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

I've seen this argument on here plenty of times. Always makes me laugh.

Which are you laughing at, mine or his?  

[Guest Markyblue]

What you've got to do is give them a 3 week break, that way they can go to the far east to play money spinning but absolutely pointless friendlies.  Its all about the money at the end of the day.

[Aus Fox 8,566]

We will play Fulham on Monday, Away in Ukraine on Thursday and then I’m guessing Sheff Utd on Sunday.

Also happened when we played Leeds on Monday, Braga on Thursday and Wolves on Sunday.

That’s twice already we’ve played 3 games in 7 days.

[Leicester_Loyal 5,337]

It always happens, use the youth players, use the reserves and hope that they get a win. Liverpools reserve players are a lot better than Fulhams, as we can vouch for (Still bitter at the 3-0).

 

It's just getting ridiculous now, Klopp and the other big clubs just want to use 16 players throughout the season, make full use of your full 25 man squad.

[Leicester_Loyal 5,337]

35 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

We don't - we do 2 matches per week, on average. Unless playing Sunday somehow counts double...

On average maybe you're right, but we're not talking about that, we're talking about specifically playing 3 games in 7 days.

 

20th Sept we played Burnley

23rd Sept we played Arsenal

27th Sept we played Man City

 

18th Oct we played Villa

22nd Oct we played Zorya

25th Oct we played Arsenal

29th Oct we played AEK

 

2nd Novem we played Leeds

5th Novem we played Braga

8th Novem we played Wolves.

[Grebfromgrebland 2,284]

Surely this should be an opportunity for all clubs to give the kids a chance.

 

International managers should also be a lot more flexible in their squads to minimise the load on their players.

 

The only people to blame here are the managers in choosing their best players for every game when they should be rotating more.

[ealingfox 5,624]

The gameweek between Christmas and New Year has always been unnecessary.

[HighPeakFox 11,356]

31 minutes ago, Aus Fox said:

We will play Fulham on Monday, Away in Ukraine on Thursday and then I’m guessing Sheff Utd on Sunday.

Also happened when we played Leeds on Monday, Braga on Thursday and Wolves on Sunday.

That’s twice already we’ve played 3 games in 7 days.

That's true, but it still averages as 2 per week. 

[JamesfromlondonLCFC 589]

Sorry but i work 5 days a week, get over it. 

[Babylon 28,932]

1 hour ago, davieG said:

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league-december-tv-row-23064445

 

Confirmation of the December TV games is expected later this week but a number of clubs are fuming that they face the prospect of playing three times in seven days

ByMatt MaltbySports Journalist
07:55, 25 NOV 2020UPDATED07:57, 25 NOV 2020

The December TV fixture list announcement has been delayed as Premier League clubs are locked in crisis talks with broadcasters.

The TV giants were hoping to announce next month's games on Tuesday but clubs have been contesting the pile-up of fixtures, which has caused an untimely delay.

According to The Mirror, confirmation is expected later this week but a number of clubs are fuming that they face the prospect of playing three games in seven days.

Some could even play twice in the space of 72 hours, with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp among the high-profile figures to already publicly slam this season's gruelling schedule.

Sky Sports are pencilled in for the pick of the Boxing Day games, while Amazon and BT Sport have December 28th and New Year's Day respectively.

But all games are being shown live, meaning the TV giants are trying to move dates to squeeze them all in, and that has left some of the bigger clubs furious.

The top-flight's giants, for example, have regularly voiced concern over playing in Europe on Wednesday night and then having to play in the Saturday lunchtime clash.

Talks are ongoing, although broadcasters are believed to be annoyed at the public criticism aimed at them by the likes of Klopp.

 

"It was never about us when I talked about it, it was about all the players. If you don't start talking to BT [Sport] we are all done," Klopp told Sky Sports

"Sky and BT have to talk because if we keep playing on Wednesday and Saturday [at] 12:30, I'm not sure if we will finish the season with 11 players.

"I know you [the broadcasters] don't care and that's the problem. We've discussed it for a long time and nothing's happened.

"I don't talk about Liverpool, I talk about all the football players out there. Yesterday, [Gerard] Pique massive knee injury. Today, [Bukayo] Saka, maybe, I'm not sure, a knee injury - he played all three games for England during the international break.

 

"Now people tell us to rotate players but who? We have some offensive players but the rest are kids.

"It's a massive problem. Wednesday and Saturday 12:30 is a broadcaster problem and nothing else. We play against Atalanta on Wednesday and then 12:30 [Saturday] against Brighton. It's an early Christmas present. We will show up there shaking. I think about sending the points. That's how it is.

"Gentlemen, start talking and making decisions. I like the relationship with you. If someone tells me again about contracts I'll go really nuts. Because these contracts aren't made for a Covid season.

"We all have to adapt. Everything's changed, but the contracts with the broadcasters is still: 'We have this, so we keep this'. What? Everything changed, the whole world changed!"

Use the kids then you melt. 

[Foxes1 907]

Remember the good old days when over Xmas / Easter clubs usually played on consecutive days nobody moaned then

[FOXYTALK 257]

They were talking about this on Talks*ite last night. You think teams only have 11 players in their squads. Yawn. 

[Nalis 5,316]

The 3 games in 7 days shout just ignores the rest days either side as it a bit of a soundbite to make it sound worse than it actually is.

 

Bit like working a standard Monday to Friday 5 day week and telling the world you have to work 10 days in the space of 12.

[The whole world smiles 5,000]

I used to really like, Klopp I admired his passion, his style of play and his achievements. 

 

But my word what an entitled, moany, slobbering **** he's turned out to be.

 

We play lots of football at Christmas. We have 3 subs. This is the way it is, this is the way it's always been and this is the way it was when you took the job in 2016. Same goes for Pep too. 

[Free Falling Foxes 691]

6 minutes ago, Foxes1 said:

Remember the good old days when over Xmas / Easter clubs usually played on consecutive days nobody moaned then

Just about to post something similar

 

Anyone remember when we played  (I think) Burnley away then at home on consecutive days back in the 60s?

Heavy pitches, heavier balls, travelling by road as opposed to flying to take into consideration as well, and the advances since with sports science/ fitness levels etc.

Edited 25 November 2020 by Free Falling Foxes

[FoyleFox 823]

14 minutes ago, Nalis said:

The 3 games in 7 days shout just ignores the rest days either side as it a bit of a soundbite to make it sound worse than it actually is.

 

Bit like working a standard Monday to Friday 5 day week and telling the world you have to work 10 days in the space of 12.

Working 10 days in 12 of considerably longer working days, in less favourable conditions for an awful lot less money.