Ex-Manchester United star Gary Neville claims that Liverpool fans are only reluctant to complain about the club’s owners because of their current success under Jurgen Klopp. Now into his seventh season at Anfield, Klopp could be on the verge of his best campaign yet as the Reds power towards an unprecedented quadruple.
Football ownership was brought sharply into the spotlight when Chelsea’s Russian billionaire owner, Roman Abramovich, was slapped with UK government sanctions earlier this month that almost paralysed the club financially. An abrupt takeover process is now well underway, but the sequence of events has prompted many to look at their own club’s owners through a more critical lens.
Liverpool are owned by US-based Fenway Sports Group (FSG) who also have stakes in baseball and ice hockey. While they have stayed clear of fierce scrutiny, Mohamed Salah’s wage standoff and a fundamental lack of spending compared to their competitors over the past few years has raised questions.
Neville claims that fans are only ‘quiet’ on the situation because of Klopp’s success, and the relationship could come under strain if that comes to an end. “There is no doubt our league is being abused and used,” he said on The Overlap.
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Klopp has already won a Premier League, Champions League, Carabao Cup and FIFA Club World Cup since taking the Anfield hotseat in 2015. More could be in the pipeline this season after their Wembley triumph over Chelsea in February with FA Cup, league and European glory still very much on the table.
Due to the strength of the Reds’ midfield, Neville is fearful that his former foes could go on to achieve an unprecedented quadruple this season, eclipsing United’s historic treble in 1999. Manchester City are sure to pose a stern test on the three remaining fronts.
It remains to be seen how Neville’s assessment is received by Liverpool fans, or indeed how those same fans’ attitudes change towards their owners once Klopp makes way. The German’s current deal expires in 2024, and he has been quick to fend off questions about an extension.
“There’s no point in saying anything about that because it’s still so long away,” he told Bild last year, “How am I supposed to know what’s going to happen? Most people don’t even know where they’ll be in two, three weeks.”
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