Jurgen Klopp addresses Man City sanctions and his Liverpool stance after responsible verdict

Ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has spoken out on Manchester City’s potential punishments after they were found guilty of 114 of 115 Premier League financial misconduct charges

Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has spoken out over Manchester City’s guilty verdict.

City were found guilty of 114 of 115 charges of breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules by an independent commission after they were involved in ‘sham’ sponsorship deals that saw City artificially inflate their revenue by £900million. The deals were funded by the club’s owners, the Abu Dhabi United Group, something which City categorically deny, as they intend to appeal the verdict.

While City continue to fight the case, potential punishments could see them expelled from the top flight, relegated, fined or hit with massive points deductions. They could also be stripped of the trophies they won during the nine-year period in question, with some observers suggesting the honours should be retrospectively handed to their competitors.

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Speaking at a Germany press conference, Klopp appeared to backtrack on previous comments he had made on the matter, reports the Mirror.

He said: “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.”

Liverpool finished runners-up to City on three occasions in the modern era, though only one of those falls within the timeframe that the club were under investigation for – when Brendan Rodgers was in charge at Anfield in 2013/14.

Klopp’s remarks represent something of a U-turn from his stance in January 2025, when he pledged to celebrate should Liverpool be handed the titles, while he has also previously quipped that he would participate in an open-top bus parade.

He said: “We had this discussion when I left. I haven’t spent a lot of time in Mallorca [where he moved after leaving Liverpool] because I am always flying around the place.

“But if it would happen, I told all the people who wanted to [come]: ‘Just book a flight to Mallorca. I will buy the beer! We’d have our own parade in my garden.”

Meanwhile, Klopp’s former adversary Guardiola – who left the club in the summer – has ended his silence on the charges.

Taking to social media, the ex-City manager said: “I want every single Man City fan to know I am here; more than ever. I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran [Soriano] the players, staff, Enzo [Maresca] and you, our unique supporters. Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all.”