Jurgen Klopp doesn’t like the fact Manchester City’s two-year Champions League ban was overturned yesterday and thinks FFP should be respected.
Liverpool fans were similarly furious to see City get off on what is essentially a technicality because their discrepancies were time-barred and legally occurred too long ago to face punishment for them.
As a result, they are no longer banned from Europe and their €30m fine was changed to just €10m.
“I don’t know if I can answer it. It’s a serious subject,” Klopp told the Athletic.
“From a personal point of view I’m happy City can play Champions League next year, they don’t have 10-12 games less now in Premier League – no other team would have had a chance in the league.
“I don’t think it was a good day for football yesterday, to be honest.
“FFP is a good idea. It is there for protecting teams and the competition, so that nobody overspends and they have to make sure the money they want to spend is based on the right sources.
“If the richest clubs and countries can do what they want to do, then that makes it difficult. That would lead to a world league, it would depend on who owns the clubs and not the names of the clubs.
“It is not up to me to judge this and I don’t. I just hope we stick to this FFP system and I hope it stays as it kind of gives borders where you can go to and that is good for football. If no-one has to care anymore it makes the competition difficult.
“It is a little but like Formula One – if you open the door to a private jet and you see who is quicker, the aeroplane will win. If the car is in a specific way, then the best driver wins.”
As always, the boss has hit the nail on the head. Liverpool have been run as a sensible business under FSG – and although it’s taken time to achieve greatness – look where we are now. It is a sustainable model.
City are owned by a petro-state and have quite literal unlimited wealth with which to win.
They could have used this wealth to build the club naturally but they flouted the regulations and have got away with it, practically scot-free.
As a result, they’re going to spend like crazy again this summer – while Liverpool act responsibly following the COVID-19 pandemic.