Ian Wright has claimed the relentless effort required to compete with Manchester City ultimately 'broke' former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Wright was speaking on ITV Sport’s coverage of England’s international fixture against Czechia on Tuesday evening, shortly after the Premier League released an official statement confirming an independent commission had found Manchester City guilty of 114 financial charges.
The ruling, which addresses breaches spanning nine seasons between 2009 and 2018, arrives before Man City's first trip following the international break - a visit to Anfield to face Liverpool.
Wright: Competing with Man City 'broke' Jurgen Klopp
Reflecting on the title battles between City and Liverpool during the peak of Pep Guardiola and Klopp's managerial rivalry, Wright highlighted the emotional and physical toll inflicted on the German manager, whose side accumulated extraordinary point totals only to repeatedly finish second.
"It is quite appropriate for them to be going to Liverpool [next] because you have to say in that four in-a-row [time], Liverpool were the team that were chasing them down," Wright told lead presenter Mark Pougatch.
"You look at what [Jurgen] Klopp went through with that team and what Klopp went through himself to try and beat that [Man City] team to try and break them. And in the end, it probably broke him and it's been done wrong, in an illegal way. It's so sad. It's going to keep getting deeper, it's going to get so litigious now, I think it's going to go on so long, Pougs – it's so sad."
Klopp departed Liverpool at the end of the 2023/24 season after nine years on Merseyside, admitting he was running out of energy to continue managing at the highest level. During his tenure, Liverpool pushed City to unprecedented standards—most notably losing the Premier League title by a single point in both the 2018/19 and 2021/22 campaigns despite accumulating 97 and 92 points respectively.
Wright’s comments reflect a growing sentiment across the game that Liverpool's achievements under Klopp were unfairly compromised if City's domestic dominance was achieved through financial breaches.
However, Wright warned that the fallout from the guilty verdict is only just beginning. With Manchester City maintaining their innocence and preparing an appeal against the ruling, the former England striker expects an extended legal process that will continue to cast a shadow over English football.
Anfield will be a cauldron when Man City visit after the international break, carrying the weight of an unavoidable narrative. The game is scheduled to be played at 4:30pm on Sunday, October 11.
