KOP SPIT PROBE IS ‘SERIOUS’
LIVERPOOL have sent members of their in-house security team to Manchester City to gather information on allegations that an Anfield fan spat at Pep Guardiola’s backroom staff.
City lodged a complaint with the Merseyside club following the epic 2-2 draw earlier this month.
Liverpool immediately launched a probe into the accusations – and last week they sent investigators to the City Football Academy to take witness statements.
The Premier League champions claimed a home supporter had spat towards their bench on the touchline as City’s staff and substitutes celebrated Phil Foden’s second-half equaliser.
A City source said: “Liverpool have taken the complaint extremely seriously and have promised to take firm action.
“There is a wealth of evidence to prove what happened.”
Liverpool are ready to issue a lifetime ban if the allegation is substantiated.
Strained
They have also promised to send all evidence gathered to Merseyside Police to see if criminal charges can be laid.
City have been impressed with Liverpool’s response to the matter. There has been a strained relationship between the two clubs in recent years as they became fierce rivals on the pitch.
Guardiola is still angry about the attack which wrecked City’s £500,000 team bus and left his players shaken before a Champions League quarter-final meeting at Anfield in 2018.
Merseyside Police had published the route City would be taking to the stadium.
They had given the Blues assurances about their safety – but then failed to make a single arrest despite having officers on duty outside the stadium and gathering hours of film footage of the attack.
City twice came from behind to take a point back to Manchester, with Foden and Kevin De Bruyne cancelling out goals by Sadio Mane and Mo Salah.