The Athletic says Jurgen Klopp’s achievements at Liverpool deserve even greater recognition after an independent commission found that Manchester City had committed almost all of the alleged breaches of Premier League financial regulations.
Klopp left Anfield in May 2024 after eight and a half years, exhausted but satisfied. At his farewell event at the M&S Bank Arena, 10,000 supporters gave him a standing ovation.
“Apart from marrying Ulla, coming to Liverpool was the best decision of my life,” Klopp said. “Don’t be sad that it’s over, be happy that it happened.”
He also reflected on the two Premier League title races Liverpool lost to Manchester City by a single point, in 2018-19 and 2021-22.
Liverpool collected 97 points in 2018-19, still the highest total by a runner-up in English top-flight history. Their only league defeat came in a 2-1 loss at the Etihad in January 2019, when John Stones cleared the ball from almost over the line.
From February 2019 to February 2020, Klopp’s side took 110 points from a possible 114. They finally won the Premier League in 2019-20 with 99 points, finishing 18 points ahead of Manchester City, although COVID-19 restrictions prevented them from holding a traditional victory parade.
“Winning the Premier League and not even having a parade, it’s ridiculous,” Klopp said. “In some ways, it’s very Liverpool, always having to go through hardships.”
Liverpool came close to an unprecedented quadruple in 2021-22. They won both domestic cups, finished second in the league with 92 points and then lost the Champions League final to Real Madrid after being denied by an outstanding Thibaut Courtois.
The commission’s core arbitration document said Manchester City had inflated revenues and reduced costs through related-party transactions between 2009 and 2018, involving more than £900 million (approximately $1.19 billion). Inflated commercial revenues were listed as £107.2 million in 2014-15, £120.2 million in 2015-16, £129.6 million in 2016-17 and £134.7 million in 2017-18.
During that decade, Manchester City spent about £1.2 billion on transfers, with a net spend of around £1 billion. Liverpool’s total spending was approximately £814 million, with a net spend of £337 million.
Liverpool’s major acquisitions included Virgil van Dijk for £75 million from Southampton in January 2018 and Alisson for £65 million from Roma six months later. Those deals were funded by Philippe Coutinho’s £142 million move to Barcelona.
Manchester City says it has “irrefutable evidence” of its innocence and has appealed, insisting: “We have not committed the breaches alleged by the Premier League.”
Klopp said he respected Pep Guardiola and missed the matches between their teams. “I don’t need this to give myself another English title,” he said.
The next meeting will be the first since March 2015 without Klopp or Guardiola in charge. Liverpool fans are expected to be less restrained than Klopp, while Iraola will be tasked with using the home crowd to disrupt Manchester City’s rhythm.
If the appeal fails, the ruling could permanently affect how Guardiola’s achievements at the Etihad are viewed. It also strengthens the case that Klopp’s Liverpool, built while maintaining tighter financial balance, was even more remarkable than previously recognised.