Liverpool have reportedly cited the quick turnaround between Premier League and Champions League fixtures as their explanation for flying back from Newcastle on Saturday.
The Reds made the 33-minute flight back from the North East just hours after recording their second Premier League victory of 2023 as first half goals from Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo helped down Eddie Howe's side and strengthen their prospects of finishing in the top-four.
However, the club has drawn criticism for choosing to make the 145-mile journey back to Merseyside via aircraft with the Premier League recently dedicating one of its game weeks to Green Football Weekend in a bid to raise awareness around climate issues.
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But according to the Mirror, Anfield officials have cited the tight fixture schedule as the reasoning behind their decision, as Jurgen Klopp's side host Real Madrid at Anfield on Tuesday in a repeat of the 2022 Champions League final.
The report claims that Liverpool "does factor in environmental concerns when making travel decisions, with distance and cost the other main considerations" and part of the decision-making process was down to Klopp wanting his players to be in the best possible shape for the mouthwatering clash against the Spanish champions.
Liverpool are, of course, not the first team to be drawn into controversy due to their travel arrangments this season as Steve Cooper was forced to defend Nottingham Forest's decision to fly to and from Blackpool earlier this year for the two clubs' FA Cup tie at Bloomfield Road.
"Whether it is right or wrong, I think it is pretty normal for a team, in the Premier League particularly, and for a lot of Championship teams, to fly distances like that," said Cooper. "It's probably not just a question for Nottingham Forest. It is probably a question for the whole of the Premier League. We are no outliers here. In fact, because of where we are situated in the country, we probably fly less than most."
Men's and women's teams across the Premier League and Women's Super League wore green armbands for their fixtures during the weekend of February 4 in a new initiative designed to tackle climate challenge - the campaign happened just days after Liverpool became the first Premier League club to be awarded a British Standards Institute ISO 20121 certificate, which awards the club's approach to delivering sustainable events.
Speaking of the achievement, Liverpool's vice president of operations, Hannah Simpkins, said: "We are proud to achieve this ISO 20121 certification. It is an amazing honour for the club and recognition for The Red Way strategy. This standard provides us with credibility in the approach we’re taking towards sustainability in sport.
"It’s taken an incredible amount of work and effort from the LFC team to get this certification from the BSI in place.
"We are very aware of the responsibility we hold as a global football club to help inspire and encourage positive behaviour change. With hundreds of millions of supporters around the world, we know we are in a strong position to help influence sustainable decisions in their day-to-day lives which is why it's hugely important to us."
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