Three clubs can do what they want, at least financially, says Jürgen Klopp. He has to compete against one in an extremely complicated situation. At a press conference, the Liverpool coach explains his view of things.
Jürgen Klopp is in a complicated situation: With his Liverpool FC he had the worst start to the season in the Premier League in ten years, now it comes to a duel with defending champions Manchester City – and that has “the best team in the world and now also the best striker in the world," as Klopp said with a view to his Reds' top game on Sunday. In 11th place, Liverpool FC is already 14 points behind leaders Arsenal and 13 behind their big rivals for the national titles, namely Manchester City. Manchester City have been English champions four times in the past five years, only Klopp's Liverpool could break into the phalanx of national dominators in 2020.
But it's not just the current sporting gap between the two clubs that Klopp has to talk about at the moment. "No one can keep up with City," said the German coach at the press conference on the cracker when asked by a journalist how Liverpool wanted to keep up with Manchester City. "No matter what the cost – they just do it. I know City won't like it, nobody will like it, you asked the question but you know the answer. What are Liverpool doing? We can't act like them . That's not possible. Not possible. It's just obvious, and again you know the answer." Manchester City has been provided with oil billions from Abu Dhabi since 2008, the club is owned by the City Football Group - which in turn belongs to Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
"There are three clubs in world football that can do whatever they want financially. It's legal and all, fine, but they can do whatever they want. They'll say, 'Yes, but we have...'" , said Klopp, whose striker Darwin Nunez was himself bailed out by FC Porto for over 100 million euros. "But that's the fact. We always have to look at everything and say, 'We need this and we need that and we have to look here and make it younger, and here a candidate and here a talent' and that's what you do have to do. And still compete with them."
Before the season, Erling Haaland switched from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City for the fixed fee of around 70 million euros. It's the whole package, however, that Liverpool seemed unable to afford: Haaland is said to be earning £375,000 a week plus bonuses that more than double his salary.
The three clubs Klopp is referring to are, in addition to Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and league competitor Newcastle United: All three clubs are provided with a lot of state money from the Gulf region and thus enjoy a competitive advantage - even if it is often questionable whether the commitments are in line with the rules of financial fair play established by UEFA. Manchester City had already been banned from international competitions for violations, but the verdict was reversed shortly thereafter. Liverpool are unbeaten in their last four meetings with City and have won the last two - last season's FA Cup semi-final and the Community Shield in July.
"It's not a problem for me at all, it is what it is," said Klopp. "Don't ask me that question because you always open this discussion and I tell you. But you all know, you should know. I've now heard someone at Newcastle say, 'There's no cap on this one Club'. Yes, he's right about that. He's absolutely right. There's no cap for Newcastle. Congratulations, but other clubs have a cap."
Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth had said there is no upper limit to what Newcastle "can achieve" as a club. He added that Newcastle, who spent £210m on players under Saudi majority ownership in 2022, must comply with FFP rules and that this year's annualized spending is 'unsustainable'.
