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Wolves boss Nuno slams 'ridiculous' Christmas fixture pile-up

Nuno Espirito Santo has vented his anger over the ‘absurd’ TV scheduling which sees Wolves face Manchester City and Liverpool within two days over Christmas.

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Wolves were supposed to be hosting reigning Premier League champions City on Boxing Day.

However, the game has been moved to 7.45pm on December 27 by online subscription service Amazon Prime – before heading to Anfield to face last season’s Champions League winners at 4.30pm on December 29, with the game live on Sky Sports.

And Nuno, whose side started the campaign in July because of Europa League qualification, said in an impassioned rant: “It’s absurd, ridiculous.

“Wolves are the team that have more games already, the busiest team in all competitions, then we have to face this schedule of two games in 45 hours.

“Do you know how many games we have had already? It’s 18.

“Has someone had this under consideration, how soon we started the league and what is in front of us?

“I don’t expect benefits, I just don’t expect to be the worst (treated), the most difficult one, when we are the ones with more games.

"I keep coming to the same conclusion. It’s absurd. It doesn’t make sense.”

Nuno insists the club had no consultation from the broadcast companies over the fixture changes.

“Don’t come and tell me about Amazon and Sky. Look and protect the players, these are protagonists,” he said.

“Broadcasters need players. People go to the stadiums to see players, to see the players they love, the players they like.

“I will ask for an explanation, I will try... but who am I?

“I don’t know if (my opinion) is valid. If it’s valid, someone would come and say ‘look, we are thinking about this, what is your opinion?’

“Nobody asked us that. They have just put the fixtures up and made it public and now we have to do it.

“If someone is reasonable enough, they will come and visit me and tell me the ‘why’.

“If this ‘why’ is reasonable, I will understand it. But please, it doesn’t make much sense.”

Nuno stressed that he is just looking out for the wellbeing of his players.

“It’s for the players – I’m not complaining about myself; I will be ready, but I don’t have to run 12 kilometres one and a half days before,” he said.

“We will be prepared and we will be ready, but this is too much, of course.

“Not only for us, but for everybody. It’s going to be very demanding for the players. After that, we just have to hope for the best."

Nuno added: “We are in a free world, I’m entitled to my opinion.

“I’m not the only manager speaking about this, English football and the Premier League has to look and ask if it makes sense.

“The league has to look and say if we can have another approach.

“I don’t expect a benefit, but let’s be fair and reasonable – 45 hours, it’s impossible to play another game. It’s very hard.”