Liverpool’s first-team squad will enjoy an unexpected Christmas day at home with loved ones after manager Arne Slott abandoned the tradition of bringing players in for festive training, a tradition followed by previous managers including Jurgen Klopp. The Reds normally gather for a Christmas morning session in preparation for their customary Boxing Day fixture, but this season’s unusual scheduling anomaly means they will be able to spend time with their families instead.
This year, only one match will be held on Boxing Day, with the remaining matches spread over December 27th and 28th. The Premier League believes this situation is due to the expansion of UEFA’s European competitions programme.
“The Premier League would like to acknowledge the circumstances that have resulted in a reduced number of Boxing Day fixtures this season, which has affected an important tradition of English football,” the league declared when announcing its list of October celebratory fixtures.
“There are currently some challenges to the Premier League fixture schedule due to the expansion of European club competitions, which led to a revision of the domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup.
“This ultimately resulted in the Premier League being a 33-week competition, which is less than the previous season, despite having played 380 games since 1995. With fewer weekends available, the league is now tied to what the calendar looks like.”
With Liverpool playing Wolves at Anfield on December 27, Slott was able to give his team and backroom team a valuable Christmas Day break.
The decision has been warmly received by the players, with captain Virgil van Dijk describing it as “special” to be able to spend the festive period at home for the first time during his time at Anfield.
The 34-year-old expressed his delight after Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Spurs on Saturday: “The staff are very friendly as we are closed on Christmas Day.
“It’s a nice change. I’ll be home on Christmas Eve too and I’m really looking forward to it. The staff always have special plans for the games and it works out for everyone. It’s special to have Christmas Day off.”
“I don’t think anything like this has ever happened in my Premier League career so far. I’m going to make the most of being able to spend time with my family and enjoy every minute of it.”
The Reds will reconvene on Boxing Day with a recovery session scheduled for the start of the week.
Following Saturday’s result, Liverpool are currently unbeaten in six games and are fifth in the Premier League ahead of their match against Wolves, 10 points behind leaders Arsenal.
