Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images
Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images
A graphic showing Joe Cole's quotes on Andoni Iraola reading: "I feel for Andoni. He's the right man, but it could be the wrong time.” Image shows Liverpool FC manager Andoni Iraola.
Credit: Photo by Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images
Joe Cole comes to a sad conclusion about Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool after Man City loss
Joe Cole comes to a sad conclusion about Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool after Man City loss
Liverpool fans will appreciate what Paul Scholes had to say about Lewis Koumas despite Man City loss
Liverpool fans will appreciate what Paul Scholes had to say about Lewis Koumas despite Man City loss
Liverpool fans have every right to question Man City rivalry after Premier League findings
Liverpool fans have every right to question Man City rivalry after Premier League findings
Liverpool fans divided over what they saw after Ryan Gravenberch's Man City red card
Liverpool fans divided over what they saw after Ryan Gravenberch's Man City red card
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Virgil van Dijk for Liverpool
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Photo by Steven Halliwell/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Steven Halliwell/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
A graphic posing the question: "Where does Florian Wirtz go from here?" Image shows Florian Wirtz playing for Liverpool FC.
Credit: Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Brendan Rodgers
Liverpool fans display a banner reading “No legacy is so rich as honesty” above a row of trophy icons showing the club’s honours in the stands during the match during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Liverpool FC and Manchester City
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Some Liverpool supporters will want the harshest possible sanction if the commission’s findings are upheld. Others will be more concerned about the damage the case has done to the reputation of the Premier League.
It is tempting to reduce the whole affair to a question of points deductions or relegation. But the appropriate punishment must follow the rules and the outcome of the proceedings. It cannot simply be whatever would please rival supporters most.
If the findings are upheld, the consequences must reflect the breaches established and the applicable regulations. If the appeal changes the outcome, that must be acknowledged too. Neither result should be predetermined by the volume of anger surrounding the case.
Liverpool fans have every reason to want City held accountable for any breaches that are ultimately established. But they also have an interest in a system that works properly regardless of which club is involved.
Today it is City. Tomorrow, it could be another club whose finances or conduct come under scrutiny. The rules are only meaningful if the authorities can apply them consistently, including when the club at the centre of a case has enormous sporting and commercial influence.
That is why this, though it may not feel like it to some Reds, is bigger than Liverpool’s rivalry with City. It is about whether the Premier League can convince supporters that its regulations can be upheld no matter the club in question.
Liverpool’s loss to Manchester City made fans angrier
The 3-0 defeat to City on Sunday was painful enough for Liverpool supporters. Losing heavily to a major rival is never pleasant, particularly when that rival has been at the centre of such a long-running controversy.
It would be naive to pretend the result has no bearing on the mood around Merseyside. Fans are emotional, and the timing of a defeat can make existing frustrations feel considerably worse.
But the comments surrounding Byrne’s criticism point to something more than disappointment over one match. Some supporters feel worn down by the constant argument about financial rules and legal proceedings. Others insist that the controversy only strengthens their attachment to Liverpool and their pride in what the club has achieved.
I understand the latter reaction. The Reds’ history does not belong to Manchester City, the Premier League or an independent commission. The players who won the title in 2020 and 2025 still had to deliver over an entire season, and the supporters who followed them have every right to celebrate it.
Still, loyalty to Liverpool should not mean switching off questions about the sport itself. Fans can accept that their team will sometimes lose. They can live with a title race that goes against them or a season in which the manager gets things wrong, such as Arne Slot in 2025/26. What is more difficult is feeling that the arguments surrounding the competition are becoming almost as important as the football we see week in, week out.
There is a danger that the game loses some of its appeal when every discussion about a major rivalry turns into another debate about regulations, legal challenges and possible punishments. The Premier League has built a hugely successful competition. It should not take for granted the supporters whose passion makes that success possible.
Liverpool deserve a proper conclusion to this saga
Byrne’s frustration is understandable, but the strongest argument is not that City must be punished as severely as possible. It is that the Premier League needs to see this process through properly and explain the outcome.
Liverpool supporters should not have to pretend the findings are unimportant. Equally, nobody should claim that the case automatically changes the results of past title races or proves that the Merseyside outfit would have won more trophies.
So what happens now? The appeal needs to be resolved, any sanctions must be decided under the relevant rules, and the Premier League must make clear what the outcome means. That is the only way to move beyond the cycle of speculation that has surrounded the case for years.
Liverpool and City gave English football some remarkable title races. The margins were often tiny, the quality was exceptional, and the rivalry helped set the standard for the rest of the division.
Supporters have every reason to be proud of their part in that history. They also have every right to want clarity about the findings that have now emerged.
The Premier League has reached a point where it needs to show that its rules mean something and that even the most complicated cases can reach a credible conclusion. Until then, the arguments will continue. And for supporters who simply want to watch football, that is a frustrating state of affairs.