Liverpool Manager, Jurgen Klopp has criticised the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision to overturn Manchester City’s Champions League ban, declaring: “I don’t think it was a good day for football”.
On Monday, the Switzerland-based body announced that a two-year ban imposed by Uefa for Financial Fair Play breaches would be lifted, with City instead only required to pay a fine of €10m for failing to cooperate.
The news represents something of a blow for clubs like Liverpool, whose owners have previously publicly backed FFP rules that have allowed them to bring success despite moderate spending on transfers.
And, while Klopp acknowledged that City’s reinstatement to European competition is good news for his team’s title chances next term, he expressed concern over the potential long-term consequences.
He said: “From a personal point of view, I’m happy City can play Champions League next year because, when I think about the league and City has 10-12 games less for resting players, I don’t see any chance for any teams in the league, honestly.
“Apart from that, I don’t wish anybody anything bad, but I don’t think it was a good day for football yesterday, to be honest.
“I think FFP is a good idea, it is there for protecting teams and the competition, that was the idea in the start so that nobody overspends and clubs have to make sure the money they want to spend is based on the right sources.
“I’m from Germany, I’m educated in a completely different system, we have different club structures not an owner-based system. It’s clear when you get the money from, before the season you get your licence and if you don’t get the licence then you can’t be part of the competition.
“It’s not up to me to judge this, I don’t, I only think that this FFP frame for all of us, we all should stick to, that’s what rules are for. I really hope FFP stays because it gives kind of some borders. I think that’s good for football.
“If you start doing that nobody cares at all then the richest people and countries can do what they want to do but it will make the competition really difficult. That would lead automatically to a world super league with 10 clubs.
“It would depend not on the clubs but on the people who own the clubs and they can play against each other.
“I think it makes sense that we have these kind of rules. But about the judgement yesterday, I don’t know enough or understand it properly why this was the judgement.”