Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images
Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images
Usually, international breaks are bleak, unnecessary and beyond boring, not just for Liverpool supporters, but for most fans across the world.
But this prolonged three-week international break will go down in history because it will be remembered for Manchester City being charged by the Premier League for breaking its financial rules.
Jamie Carragher explained that Man City’s Abu Dhabi owners, who deny all charges and are appealing, won’t and simply ‘can’t back down’ because all of this is a ‘PR’ game for them.
Speaking on The Overlap, Carragher explained how owners such as FSG of Liverpool are in it to ‘make money’, but those inside the Etihad, who have ‘all the power’ and ‘all the money’ in the world, are doing it for ‘sportswashing’ and ‘PR’ reasons.
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Jamie Carragher says Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi owners ‘can’t back down’ due to ‘PR’
Liverpool were Man City’s biggest rivals during their period of now questionable and tainted trophy dominance, given these charges and new findings.
From Centurions to Treble winners, led by Pep Guardiola, they produced some of the greatest teams, individual players and moments in English football history.
While the Reds did everything by the book, winning one Premier League title and one European Cup under Jurgen Klopp’s stewardship, those in the blue half of Manchester were cooking up something very different.
Carragher admitted that Man City have ‘transformed’ parts of their city, but being charged by the Premier League is an ‘absolute disaster’ for them, but not for footballing reasons.
Nobody yet knows what the punishment will be, but throughout this long-winded period, Man City have remained firm in their stance that they are not guilty of all charges thrown at them.
However, former Liverpool defender Carragher explained how the image of Abu Dhabi is now being damaged, so they have no choice but to take this stance.
“You (Gary Neville) mentioned Jack Walker (former Blackburn owner),” said Carragher. “That was an old-fashioned owner. The local guy, earns a lot of money, loves to buy his football club and do well.
“We are in a different world now, so people from all over the world who have no affiliation with our clubs. So, why are they here? I know FSG came to Liverpool to make money. They want Liverpool to do well, but they have come to make money. I have no problem with that. I understand that.
“But when you think about why Abu Dhabi came to Manchester City. They have all the power in the world. They have all the money in the world. What is it? Exactly (it’s PR). It’s sports washing. That’s what it was all about.
“So, this is an absolute disaster for them, because for the last ten years they have transformed a part of Manchester. Pep Guardiola, best manager in the world. Winning everything. Football’s amazing. And this was the thing that was stopping them in their tracks: this whole PR game and machine.
“That’s why they are so entrenched. They can’t back down, so they are going to keep going and keep going because that’s the only reason they are here: for PR.”