The Court of Arbitration for Sports overturned Manchester City’s two-year ban from the Champions League on Monday, and the decision didn’t go down well with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Klopp: "But I don't think yesterday was a good day for football. FFP is a good idea. It is there for protecting teams and the competition so nobody overspends." #LFC
— James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) July 14, 2020
Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho is also not happy that City escaped being severely punished, and CAS’ decision continues to divide opinions.
The Etihad Stadium outfit were initially banned from Europe for allegedly breaching Financial Fair Play rules, but they have since been declared innocent, and former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher claims that Klopp was wrong to say that the verdict is not good for football.
JAMIE CARRAGHER: Yes, Man City have a persecution complex but Klopp was wrong to call FFP verdict 'not good for football' | @Carra23 https://t.co/K3wkYnMktr
— Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) July 17, 2020
While the Sky Sports pundit doesn’t with FFP in its current form, he finds the efforts to use it to belittle City’s success ridiculous, stating that money alone does not make a club successful even if it is fundamental to it.
“The outrage towards City and City’s outrage is pure tribalism. It demeans everyone when the juvenile spats of social or even mainstream media are encouraged and fed by the clubs. City and Liverpool have shown there are alternative ways to build a title-winning club and each is comfortable with how they have gone about it,” Carragher wrote in his Telegraph column.
“There is much about City I am sure Liverpool wish they could have. There is much about Liverpool I am sure City wish they could have. As world-class teams, they have plenty in common. Unfortunately, it seems neither side will ever admit that.
“That does not make one better than the other, just different. For as long as that is the case and a variety of clubs can challenge for the title doing it their own way – and for the moment that remains the case – football will be enhanced rather than denigrated by the next big spenders.”
Liverpool’s owners were stunned by CAS decision because City’s escape threatens their entire model.
The Reds and other critics aren’t entirely convinced that Pep Guardiola’s side aren’t guilty, and they were hoping the initial punishment will help ensure a level playing field in the race of the biggest honours.
Liverpool and co. want clubs like City to make sure that the money they want to spend is based on the right sources, and they felt that the CAS ruling didn’t do justice to that.
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