Jurgen Klopp wants to lead Liverpool to victory in the Europa League so that he can finally capture the one major prize that has eluded him.
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However, because of UEFA’s stringent regulations, Klopp will have a difficult time choosing his team for the competition. In accordance with the rules set down by the governing body, Klopp is limited to using 17 foreign players in his Europa League lineup, one fewer than in the Premier League.
As a result, a few of Liverpool’s senior stars won’t be able to compete in the European tournament. The Reds are seen as favorites to win the Europa League since they have advanced to three of the last six Champions League finals.
They were placed in Group E with the likes of the French team Toulouse, Belgian prospects Union Saint-Gilloise, and Austrian team LASK. Despite high hopes, Klopp won’t have all of his senior players available, according to the Mirror.
Players in European events are categorized into List A or List B. Up to 25 players may be on List A, with eight being homegrown.
To qualify as homegrown, an overseas player must have been on the club’s books for three years between the ages of 15 and 21. On the other hand, List B players must be born on or after January 1, 2002, and have been eligible to play for the club for an uninterrupted period of two years (or three years if they’ve completed a loan spell).
For instance, the 20-year-old Brazilian goalkeeper Marcelo Pitaluga of Liverpool, who joined the Reds in October 2020, would be categorized as a List A player because he spent time on loan at Macclesfield last season. Clubs must also list a minimum of two List A goalkeepers, according to UEFA.
Since having all three goalkeepers may not be necessary, Klopp may have to leave one of Alisson, Adrian, or Caoimhin Kelleher off the Europa League roster. As an alternative, the German coach might leave an injured player off the roster.
It’s questionable whether injured players Trent Alexander-Arnold, Thiago Alcantara, and Ibrahima Konate will be able to compete in the Europa League. If Liverpool advances to the tournament’s final rounds, Klopp does have the option of changing his lineup.
While Klopp has not yet made his Europa League roster public, all teams that were taking part had until Monday at 11:59 p.m. to submit their lineups to UEFA for the group stage.
