Liverpool and Newcastle played out an entertaining bout this weekend but criticism has been pointed towards our club for the decision to fly back from the North-East after the match.
As initially reported by The Mirror’s Felix Keith: ‘After beating Newcastle, Liverpool took a 33-minute flight home…they choose the ease of a private flight to save a three-hour drive…
‘Liverpool decided to take the flight home for performance reasons ahead of their Champions League tie against Real Madrid on Tuesday’.
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Many may scoff at the idea of our victory in a huge game being turned into criticism about the Reds harming the environment but it’s a good point to be making, especially during this time of world-wide efforts to reduce our carbon footprint.
As mentioned, the report does go on to say that this decision was made for footballing reasons as we wanted the whole squad home as quickly as possible so we could prepare for the Champions League clash with Real Madrid.
If this is a one-off decision made in the interest of bettering our chances of victory at Anfield in the week, then surely this can be excused in the short-term.
There should be a long-term focus on ensuring that all clubs don’t just flash their cash and catch short flights around the country, instead attempting to travel in a more ecologically conscious way.
However, with so many games coming so thick and fast, surely there should also be consideration for the players and helping them recover in the best way possible whenever they are just hours away from another match.
It feels like an argument nobody will win but efforts should be made from both sides of this tale, in orders to find the balance between player recovery and making the world a greener place to live.
You can view the initial Tweet about Liverpool taking the plane to Newcastle and full thread via @felixkeith on Twitter:
I've written a lot of stuff about sustainability in football – and there are a lot of well-meaning initiatives.
But there's always an elephant in the room: short-haul flights.
Last night, after beating Newcastle, Liverpool took a 33-minute flight home. pic.twitter.com/XUT639oOHK
— Felix Keith (@felixkeith) February 19, 2023
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