Brendan Rodgers has voiced his continued frustration over the scheduling of domestic fixtures, which he believes leaves little time for teams to properly prepare for European matches.
The Celtic manager’s comments come ahead of their Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, with the German side benefiting from a Friday fixture while Celtic face a trip to Perth on Saturday night.
Rodgers is not alone in his concerns, noting that this is a problem faced by all British teams competing in European competitions.
He criticised the emphasis placed on television scheduling, which he says is given more importance than allowing teams the necessary preparation time between games.
The Celtic boss has suggested that changes be made to the scheduling, including more Friday fixtures in the Scottish Premiership, to better equip Scottish sides when competing on the continent.
Speaking ahead of the weekend, Rodgers highlighted the contrast between Celtic’s situation and their German opponents, saying,
“I think it is a frustration for all British teams, Borussia Dortmund will play Bochum tonight as they were allowed to move that game to give them three full days to prepare for the game against us on Tuesday.
“For us, we’ll probably not be home until midnight after our game on Saturday and then it’s a very quick turnaround with travelling and then playing the game.”
Rodgers further emphasised how this is a common problem for British clubs, with TV schedules often taking precedence over proper match preparation:
“I think it’s the same for most British teams, the TV slots and things like that seem to take priority over the actual game and preparations.
“We’re not the only team that have to deal with that… the European guys will find agreements to help their teams prepare the best they can.”
The Celtic boss believes that moving more matches to Friday could be a solution, allowing for better recovery and preparation:
“I think if there is a Friday night slot then that could work well… but, of course, that is down to the television companies and everything else.”
Rodgers concluded by noting that this issue has persisted for years but hopes that a more coordinated approach between federations and broadcasters could eventually bring about change.