“This means more.”
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The defiant mantra can be important for fans, players, coaches and everyone involved in the day-to-day running of Liverpool FC.
But at the corporate level, it is an unpleasant empty slogan designed with the sole intention of driving revenue.
It has been exposed by the club’s shameful involvement in the European Super League.
Within 48 hours of Liverpool announcing themselves as one of the 12 founding members of Florentino Perez’s ugly brain children, they were forced into a humiliating decline.
Along with the rest of English football’s so-called “big six”, the main owner John Henry released a humble, suffocating apology and undoubtedly admitted that he and the board had made a mistake.
John W Henry’s message to Liverpool supporters. pic.twitter.com/pHW3RbOcKu
– Liverpool FC (@LFC) 21 April 2021
“I want to apologize to all Liverpool fans and supporters for the disruption I have caused in the last 48 hours,” he said.
“It goes without saying but it should be said that the project presented would never be without the support of the fans. No one ever thought differently in England. During those 48 hours, you were very clear that it would not stand. We heard you. I heard you. “
But sometimes it is not enough to admit your mistakes and take responsibility.
? “He says things he thinks we want to hear. They are just sad that they have been caught again “
Joe Blott from @spiritofshankly reacts to John W Henry’s apology and urges # Liverpool owners to declare themselves supporters #europesuperleague #LFC pic.twitter.com/lE4dYyJjb8
– Radio City News (@RadioCityNews) April 21, 2021
The idea that Henry simply did not know the Super League concept would be poorly received is insulting. Even before it was announced, Jurgen Klopp was on record as the opposite idea, while Liverpool fans are proud of their long and historic association with the Champions League. It does not take a genius to assume that pulling out in favor of an elitist closed store would spark rage.
If the owners had bothered to consult Klopp, any of his players or the fans who keep the club going, the whole mess could have been easy to go aside. But they chose not to do so, because they knew what the answers would be.
pic.twitter.com/X2ZFqJ9T4L
– Jordan Henderson (@JHenderson) April 20, 2021
Henry and FSG took a chance. They knew that there would be a revolt against the Super League and that it would disrupt a significant portion of them below them in the food chain.
But they gambled on being able to ride it out, because the gold pot at the end of the rainbow was too tempting. Their greed got better at them in as open a way as possible.
* unless there is no profit to be made.
It’s not the first time either. The owners, who claim to have the club’s best intentions at heart, caused a mass walk at Anfield in 2016 when they tried to charge £ 77 for tickets to the main stand.
Years later, they shamelessly tried to copyright the name of the city and were forced into another humble decline when they tried tough staff at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
John Henry has shown clearly apart from the players and fans Michael Regan / Getty Images
John Henry and FSG really understand what Liverpool are all about. But they do not care much.
And it is immeasurably worse than acting in ignorance.
If it means more, Liverpool owners must start to show it by thinking before they act. Otherwise, the long and glorious union between LFC and FSG will soon come to a messy end.
