EFL Cup 2022-23: Manchester City and Liverpool write to fans, warning of 'unacceptable behaviours'
By Ayush Gupta | First Published Dec 20, 2022, 7:16 PM ISTEFL Cup 2022-23: Manchester City and Liverpool would clash in the pre-quarters on Thursday. Meanwhile, both clubs have written to the fans, warning them of "unacceptable behaviours" in the wake of rowdy crowd behaviour in October.
With the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar concluding, the focus immediately switches to the club season, resuming this week. The 2022-23 EFL Cup pre-quarters will be played from Tuesday night. Meanwhile, in a high-octane encounter, reigning English champion Manchester City would be meeting defending champion Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday. Given the intensity of the clash, the two clubs have written to the fans, urging them to maintain discipline, given the unruly crowd behaviour when the two sides locked horns at Anfield during their English Premier League (EPL) meeting in October. While the Cityzens' head coach Pep Guardiola was thrown coins at, City fans made fun of The Reds' 1989 Hillsborough disaster.
In a joint statement by City CEO Ferran Soriano and Liverpool CEO Billy Hogan, "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 football spectacle. We are sure you are all counting down to kick-off with much anticipation following the break in domestic football for the World Cup."
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"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," added the statement.
"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," the statement further read.
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"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," continued the statement.
"We have engaged the chairs from 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 objects, and 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 helping eliminate unacceptable behaviours in football," the statement concluded.
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