Liverpool have slashed their ticket prices for their FA Cup fourth-round replay against Shrewsbury Town at Anfield next week after confirming they will field their U-23 side.
Jurgen Klopp confirmed on Sunday that he will play “the kids” against the Sky Bet League One side on the week commencing February 3 due to the Premier League’s scheduled winter break.
Liverpool will charge £15 for adults, £5 for young adults and £1 for children, in stark contrast to the ticket prices for their regular home games.
“In April 2019 we got a letter from the Premier League, I think, where they asked us to respect the winter break, not to organise international friendlies or not to organise competitive games,” said Klopp.
“And we respect that. I said to the boys two weeks ago, ‘we will have a winter break’.”
“It means we will not be there. It will be the kids who play that game.
“You cannot deal with us like nobody cares about it. I know it’s not very popular but that’s the way I see it. The Premier League asked us to respect the winter break. That’s what we do. If the FA doesn’t respect it we cannot change it. We will not be there.”
However, the FA says Liverpool and other Premier League clubs were warned that FA Cup fourth-round replays would fall during the mid-season break, and says it “went to great lengths” to ensure a break could happen at all.
Klopp’s decision was heavily criticised by Andy Holt, owner of League Two side Accrington Stanley, who called out the Liverpool manager for “killing the FA Cup” and called for the club to be censured and fined.
“Jurgen you’re embarrassing yourself. You’re tarnishing your reputation. Rethink where you go from here,” Holt said in a tweet.
“You’re killing the FA Cup. There’s calls to kill the Carabao Cup. You’re killing us. This is a battle the FA must win or their flagship competition is totally undermined.
“This is a battle the EPL must win, or they should shut up shop. Liverpool FC need censuring. This path we’re on, forever losing out to Premier League greed has to stop.
“Liverpool FC need censuring and fining heavily. It’s not their football. It’s ours.”
