Jurgen Klopp has broken his silence as landmark Manchester City guilty verdict sends shockwaves through Liverpool and the footballing world.
When news broke that an independent commission had found Manchester City guilty of 114 of 115 financial charges following a exhaustive multi-year investigation, the seismic shifts across English football were felt nowhere more acutely than on Merseyside.
For nine relentless seasons, Jurgen Klopp sat in the Anfield dugout, crafting a side capable of pushing Pep Guardiola’s team to historical extremes, only to twice finish a single point shy of the Premier League crown despite amassing 97 and 92 points.
Facing the media in his role as head coach of the Germany national team ahead of their UEFA Nations League fixture against Serbia, Klopp was offered his first public opportunity to reflect on the findings.
True to form, the 59-year-old maintained a detached, analytical posture regarding the legal intricacies, electing instead to focus on the competitive reality of what transpired on the pitch between 2015 and 2024.
"Of course I’ve heard about that, but I haven’t given it much thought. I can only wait and see. I have big respect for Pep Guardiola and City’s style of football; they played fantastic football and were a top class opponent for us.
"If any sanctions are handed out, I have nothing to do with it; I’ll wait and see. I’m far from preparing for a title or anything like that. I’m absolutely fine with what we’ve achieved in Liverpool.
"We fought hard on the pitch. I can’t say more about that because I don’t know the details and I’m not interested in them."
Klopp’s reflection stood in sharp contrast to the defensive stance taken in Manchester earlier in the day, where Guardiola posted a defiant message on social media pledging his total allegiance to City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and executive Ferran Soriano, promising supporters "we will get through this together" as the club prepares an appeal.
The legal framework and the "garden parade"
"Book the flight and I buy the beer"
While Klopp was careful not to take sides on Wednesday, some famous comments he made earlier in the year have resurfaced online and they will bring a big smile to any Liverpool supporter.
Speaking in January 2025 during his time working as Red Bull's global head of football, Klopp was asked what he would do if Manchester City were stripped of their titles and Liverpool were retroactively handed a Premier League crown. His response was classic Klopp:
"Did you say few months or three? Ah okay. We’re getting closer. Should? I don’t say anything. Would? We had this discussion when we left, if it would happen I told all the people who want it, just book the flight and Ibuy the beer.
"Whatever we have to celebrate, good weather, we would have our own parade in my garden. God what a headline. We will see. I didn’t follow it all. I’m surprised you’re telling me it’s two months away. Let’s see."
The actual details behind the legal case are complicated. The 114 charges cover a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018. If City lose their appeal and are stripped of trophies from those exact years, the 2013/14 Premier League title when Brendan Rodgers was in charge of Liverpool would be the main trophy in question.
Klopp’s incredible Liverpool teams famously finished second to City in two heart-breaking seasons: 2018/19 (when Liverpool got 97 points) and 2021/22 (when they got 92 points). Both times, Liverpool missed out by just a single point.
Even though those two seasons fall slightly outside the main timeframe of the charges, the potential punishments for City which could range from huge points deductions to title stripping or even league expulsion mean this story is far from over.
Anfield cauldron looms after international break
For Liverpool supporters, the timing of this entire situation could not be more intense.
As soon as the international break ends, Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool will welcome Manchester City to Anfield on October 11. With City fighting the guilty ruling and no official punishments handed out yet, the atmosphere inside the ground promises to be absolutely electric.
Klopp might be happy to sit back in his garden with a cold drink, but for everyone inside Anfield next month, the fireworks are only just beginning.
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