Manchester City and Liverpool pen letters to supporters amid ‘unacceptable behaviours’

Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano and his Liverpool counterpart Billy Hogan have written to supporters ahead of Thursday’s Carabao Cup meeting between the two teams.

The pair have penned a joint statement to fans after behaviour and incident continued to mar recent matches between the two North West rivals.

City’s 1-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield in October was overshadowed by numerous incidents, notably allegations that coins had been thrown towards the Manchester City dugout and damage to the Blues’ team bus.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp also faced criticism for his pre-match comments, as he spoke about the Sky Blues’ spending power.

Amid the recent deterioration in relations between the teams, following discussions between fan groups and the two clubs, supporters of both sides received letters ahead of Thursday’s fixture.

Manchester City host Liverpool in the Fourth Round of the Carabao Cup with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.

City beat last years runners-up Chelsea to progress to the next round, and now face a tough task against the current holders.

Prior to the match, Ferran Soriano and Billy Hogan, penned this joint-letter to season ticket holders and UK match-going fans.

“We write to you today on behalf of both Manchester City FC and Liverpool FC, ahead of our Carabao Cup match at the Etihad Stadium later this week.

“As with any meeting between our clubs, it promises to be a fantastic spectacle of football and we are sure that you are all counting down to kick-off with much anticipation following the break in domestic football for the World Cup.

“The passion and enthusiasm that we see from our fans when we play each other – at the Etihad Stadium or Anfield – is part of what makes matches between our clubs so special, and we know you are committed to creating a stadium environment where everyone is welcomed, accepted and has a fantastic matchday experience.

“Regrettably, based on recent meetings between our clubs, we also know that a minority of fans are responsible for behaviours and actions that have no place in our game.

“We are therefore writing to ask for your full support in tackling these behaviours and to ensure that both of our Clubs’ good names are preserved.

“You can help us by reporting any incidents via the options at the bottom of this email so they can be investigated.

“We appreciate that some fans may not be aware of the impact of their behaviours on other fans, both inside and outside the stadium, and we will continue to work with our fans on this education.

“It is however important for everyone to be aware that we are fully committed to dealing with unacceptable behaviours and will take action by issuing bans to those found to be responsible.

“We have engaged the Chairs from both our respective fan groups in our discussions and have their full backing to help create the right environment for our matches.

“If we all stand together to report the behaviours and actions that cause harm – including inappropriate gestures, chanting, throwing of objects, as well as any and all forms of discrimination – then we can all concentrate on supporting our teams.

“Thank you for taking the time to read this email, and for your commitment to help eliminate unacceptable behaviours in football.

“We hope you enjoy the match.”

Manchester City face Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday 22nd December.