The Premier League should take a cue from the Dutch Eredivisie and postpone domestic league fixtures so teams taking part in the Champions League can prepare better, Tottenham Hotspur defender Danny Rose said.
Tottenham’s semi-final opponents Ajax Amsterdam were set to play De Graafschap on April 28, two days before the first leg in London, leading the Dutch football association to reschedule all of this weekend’s top-flight games to May 15 so that league leaders Ajax have enough rest between games.
“I couldn’t believe it when I heard that’s what the Dutch were doing,” Rose told reporters. “It would be nice if the people in England took a similar stance and helped us out.”
Tottenham, who are involved in a top-four battle to qualify for the Champions League next season, play West Ham United today, three days before their semi-final tie. “Ultimately it’s not Tottenham against Ajax,” Rose added. “We’re England. When you get to this stage of the season, a little bit of fatigue can start to kick in and every little helps.
“We want to bring the Champions League, obviously to Tottenham, but we want to bring it to England.”
Last year’s runners-up Liverpool are also in the semis and face Barcelona next Wednesday. However, the Merseyside club will be in action five days before the first leg at the Nou Camp as they played their league game against Huddersfield Town last night.
