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"I don't think it was a good day for football" | Klopp criticises City verdict

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has expressed fears over the future of football if Financial Fair ...
Stephen Doyle
Stephen Doyle

18.02 14 Jul 2020


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"I don't think it was a g...

"I don't think it was a good day for football" | Klopp criticises City verdict

Stephen Doyle
Stephen Doyle

18.02 14 Jul 2020


Share this article


Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has expressed fears over the future of football if Financial Fair Play (FFP) is abandoned.

Klopp was asked for his views on yesterday's decision announced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)  to overturn Manchester City's two-year ban from European football.

The Premier League winning boss was at pains to try and avoid getting into a row with City, explaining that he wasn't giving his thoughts in his native tongue, but he is not happy with yesterday's news.

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"From a personal point of view, I'm happy that City can play in the Champions League next season," Klopp began.

"When I think about the Premier League and City have ten or twelve games less, for resting players I don't see any chance [like that] for other teams.

"Apart from that, I don't wish anything bad on anybody - as I said I am happy that City can play in the Champions League, but I don't think it was a good day for football yesterday to be honest."

City were initially punished by UEFA's Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) in February for what they described as a "serious breach" of FFP regulations.

Klopp mentioned a couple of times that he had not seen the full verdict, which has not been released yet by the CAS, but he explained why he believes that FFP must stay.

"I think FFP is a good idea. It's there to protect teams, protect the competition," said Klopp.

"That was the idea at the start, that nobody overspends, that clubs before the season have to make sure that the money they want to spend is rightly sourced.

"I am on top of that. I come from Germany. I am educated in a completely different system.

"For the majority of my life we have different club structures. A real club structure and not an owner based system.

"As long as Germany stick to that system, they will never have these kinds of problems.

"It is clear where you get the money from. Before the season you get your licence. If you don't get the licence, you can't be part of the competition.

"So it makes it slightly difficult but I think FFP is a good idea."

The German has concerns that if FFP is abandoned by UEFA or the top clubs around Europe that it could lead to an elite league that is limited to just a small amount of super clubs.

"I read a little bit about the judgement and the wording, what they said why [the decision] was like it was. It's not up to me to judge this and I don't," Klopp added.

"I only think this FFP, which is for all of us, we all should stick to. That's all I can say. That's what the rules are for.

"I really hope that FFP stays because it at least gives a kind of border which you can go as far but not over it and I think that's good for football, honestly.

"If you start allowing people not to care about it anymore and the richest people or countries can do what they want in football, that will make the competition really difficult.

"I think that would lead automatically then to a kind of world super league with 10 clubs. I don't know exactly which clubs, that depends on the name of the clubs and the people who own the clubs and then they can play against each other.

"I think that it makes sense that we have these kinds of rules."


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