Andoni Iraola says the uncertainty surrounding Manchester City’s guilty verdict over alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules is not good for football, calling for a swift conclusion to the case.
The Liverpool boss, who will lead his side against Enzo Maresca’s unbeaten league leaders at Anfield on Sunday, acknowledged that the rest of the division must continue to trust those overseeing the process.
The Premier League published its redacted, 40-page decision on September 29, revealing that City had artificially inflated commercial revenue by as much as £830 million between 2009 and 2018.
The club also allegedly understated losses of around £66million. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters criticised City, saying they had “systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade”.
City appealed the decision on October 2, with an independent commission set to hear the case over a 12-week period without accepting new evidence.
The Manchester club have consistently denied wrongdoing, insisting there is “irrefutable evidence” supporting the legitimacy of their commercial revenue.
“I think it should be [concluded quickly],” Andoni Iraola said. “There should be a moment when something comes from this but now is not that moment.
“Nobody knows what is going to happen and I think this uncertainty is no good for anyone. I don’t know what’s going to happen. No-one knows what’s going to happen.
“I think we have to trust the people who are in charge of those things. They have spent a lot of time (looking at the issue), no?
“So they are ones that the football world has put their trust in and they decide to make their decisions
“The best thing for us is that we are focusing on the football and on the game, Liverpool v Man City.
“But we cannot control everything that happens and that is why there are mechanisms to control these kinds of things.
“We understand and I understand everything that goes above football. Every fan will have their own opinion and attitude towards that but it’s not something that I can control.
“I need to do my job, to give the best game we can give on the sporting side, so everyone of our supporters is happy on Sunday.
“I think the challenge of the game for us is big. Everyone knows if we don’t give 100% then it is going to be a really difficult game for us.
“So all the players are very focused and everyone is willing to take on all the information to get us ready and win their duels, give their best performances because it is the only way we can win on Sunday.”
Asked if he will use the City situation as part of his team talk before kick-off, Iraola added: “No, I will use [the atmosphere] like I do every time we play at home.
“We have to use it to give the fans the game they want to see and the things that we can control.
“We know what they want to see: a team that gives everything; that fights for every ball; that is vertical and goes for the game from the beginning.
“And if we give them that game, then they will be us and that is what I would say.
“Give them that team because we know the guarantee of the fans being with us and supporting that team is important.”
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