Jurgen Klopp has warned Pep Guardiola he will need first team squad of 35 players to cope with the hectic fixture demands in England.
Guardiola is expected to replace Manuel Pellegrini at the Eastlands next season as Manchester City’s manager and Klopp says the biggest change from Germany is the extra matches that the English teams play..
The Liverpool boss admits he did not realise the Capital One Cup semi-final is two legged and says his friends back home in Germany were baffled when he told them about FA Cup replays.
Klopp has had a crash course in the unique demands of English football since arriving in October and is confident Guardiola will adapt by buying even more players at City.
“The number of games is the biggest difference,” he said. “When I came here, I didn’t know there were two rounds in the semi-final of the Capital One Cup.
“I had people in Germany, saying after we beat Stoke, ‘yeah, you’re in the final again!’ Idiots!
“In Germany, when you tell people about the FA Cup that if you draw you play again. They say ‘what?’ Here you have penalties and extra time, but only after the second game.
“That’s the thing, it’s the number of games, football, football, football. With a perfect pre-season you are prepared for a long, long journey.
“We knew about it, but to feel it is different. Pep is so experienced, for sure. I’m sure he will buy a few players and have a good team, have 35 players or whatever.”
Klopp has 12 first team players out injured and the former Borussia Dortmund coach misses the winter break which he used in Germany to nurse his squad back to health, which is omething else Guardiola will have to get used to and Klopp said:
“I’ve had a similar situation before with injuries, but with the winter break, they come back. That’s a big difference.
“What I can say about here is very positive – it’s a great country, great people, the food is much better than everybody said. OK, the weather is not great – like everyone said! – but today is not bad.”
