The atmosphere at Anfield Road turned into a scene of protest against Manchester City. On the occasion of the first Premier League match held after the decision that declared the club guilty of 114 financial violations, Liverpool fans took the opportunity to openly express their hostility towards the team from Manchester. A protest that accompanied the approach of the match and also appeared in the stands, through banners, balloons and promotional items with ironic messages.
The decision has reignited a controversy that goes far beyond the playing field: the legal issue risks calling into question the sporting legitimacy of the successes achieved by City in recent years, fueling the irony of rival fans. Liverpool, the Citizens' historical opponents in the race for English trophies, did not miss the opportunity to make its voice heard.
On the field, however, coach Enzo Maresca's team convincingly won 3-0 against Andoni Iraola's, with goals from Haaland, Doku and Cherki. Gravenberch's dismissal played a decisive role in the outcome of the match.
T-shirts and banners against Citizens
The Liverpool fans' protest began in the streets around Anfield, where stalls and supporters turned Manchester City's financial situation into an object of ridicule and provocation. Among the scarves, flags and T-shirts, slogans directly against the Citizens and their successes in recent years appeared.
One of the most significant T-shirts bore the inscription “Cheats”, which means “Deceivers”, accompanied by the words “What's The Story, Tainted Glory?”. The message, made in a graphic style reminiscent of that of the band Oasis, played on the title of the album What's the Story Morning Glory?, turning it into a provocation for the supposed glory tainted by allegations of financial irregularities. The same idea was also conveyed through a large blue banner displayed near the stadium.
The references to Oasis are not accidental. The Manchester band is particularly linked to City through Liam Gallagher, a long-time fan of the club. The band's titles and songs have become a means of feeding the rivals' irony. Gallagher, for his part, commented on social media about the atmosphere that was being created before the match, indicating with his usual directness that he was near Anfield and was spending time with Liverpool fans.
The protest continued in the stands, where banners, signs and balloons repeated the message of the home fans: the decision on financial irregularities risks casting a shadow over the trophies won by Manchester City. The controversy also spread to Manchester United, whose fans returned to the famous countdown of the years without a major trophy for their city rivals, symbolically adding 51 years to put into question all the successes of the Abu Dhabi era.
Manchester United restores trophy count
The protest was not limited to Liverpool. The day before, Manchester United fans had also targeted their city rivals during the match against Tottenham at Old Trafford. The famous clock, used to remind City of how long it had been since they had won a major trophy, reappeared in the Stretford End.
A historic provocation, which had remained in use during the years of United's dominance and was abandoned in 2011, when Manchester City won the FA Cup. After the Premier League decision, the Red Devils fans decided to restart the countdown, symbolically adding 51 years to erase from memory the successes achieved by City in the period after the purchase of the club by the Abu Dhabi group.
Banners also appeared for Portuguese Rui Pinto, the hacker who got Manchester City into trouble. He is the man behind Football Leaks, the platform that exposed millions of confidential documents and shook up European football.
The risk of falling out of the category and the bloated bananas
Among the possible consequences of the proceedings against Manchester City is relegation, one of the most serious scenarios that could be considered if sporting sanctions of this magnitude were to be imposed. For some City fans, this possibility has brought back memories of distant periods from the top of English football.
Some supporters have chosen to deal with the situation with irony, taking inflated bananas with them to Anfield, a reference to the fan traditions created during the years when the club was playing in the lower categories.
A way to ease a situation that remains delicate. The club must face the sporting and reputational consequences of a decision that is expected to fuel debate for a long time, while opposing fans have already turned the issue into an opportunity to question the value of the successes achieved in recent years.
Thus, at Anfield, the rivalry did not only take place on the pitch. The financial issue also moved into the stands, becoming the center of a protest involving Liverpool, Manchester United and an increasingly wider section of English football. While it remains to be seen how the issue of sanctions and possible appeals will develop, one thing is clear: for Manchester City, in addition to the legal battle, the fight to protect its sporting credibility has also begun.
