NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 30: Jurgen Klopp, Manager of Liverpool is interviewed prior to the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St. James' Park on December 30, 2020 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY OWEN HUMPRHEYS - POOL/GETTY IMAGES.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp spoke about Fenway Sports Group’s sale of a 10% stake in the club to investment group RedBird Capital Partners but some supporters are unhappy.
The Athletic’s James Pearce attended the digital press conference that Klopp conducted this morning ahead of Liverpool’s trip to London to face Arsenal in the Premier League and he asked about FSG’s latest investment move.
When asked about the capital investment from RedBird, Klopp responded: “It gives us consistency in terms of what we’ve done so far but that’s it pretty much. It’s good news. It gives us more security that it will go on like it did before.”
While some fans are happy with FSG’s capital acquisition, there are still some fans on social media that have found a reason to be unhappy.
The 10% stake that has been sold by the American group allows Liverpool to move on from the crippling financial consequences the pandemic has had on the football club and it should allow the Reds to go about their business on the pitch and in the transfer market without worrying about how it will affect staff and the ability to sign new players.
One fan on Twitter responded to James Pearce on Twitter, suggesting that Pep Guardiola would quit if he had to deal with owners like FSG at Manchester City.
I get the frustration fans have with our ownership but the solution is not being owned by a family that has ties to human rights violations – football is not so important that Liverpool should sacrifice their values in order to be able to sign more expensive players.
Another fan on Twitter seemed to appreciate the logic behind the partnership with RedBird, saying: “Financial consistency is crucial right now. Anyone who thinks we should be spending a fortune right off the back of losing £120m is clueless.
“This investment will cover those losses, and pay for the Anfield Road redevelopment.”
At the end of the day, while FSG have made some mistakes that point to a disconnect between the views of the people of Liverpool and the owners’ priorities as business owners, their emphasis on sustainability has helped the Reds grow their market value tremendously in the last decade.
With Liverpool Football Club now valued at almost £5.5billion, it’s clear that the owners, while imperfect, are at least doing something right.
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