Andy Robertson believes the Manchester City players who won trophies during his time challenging them should not have those achievements diminished or removed because of the actions of the club’s ownership.
The Scotland captain was travelling from a training camp in Spain to Slovenia with the national squad when news emerged that City have been found guilty of multiple breaches of the Premier League’s financial fair play rules. Robertson, who spent nine years at Anfield from 2017 and regularly jousted with City during that period, was taken aback when the news of the upcoming verdict was put to him in Ljubljana.
“For me, the players showed they were good enough on the pitch,” the 32-year-old said. “I don’t know too much about the charges and stuff like that. But they had an incredible team, one that I loved battling against. I don’t think when it comes to these things that players are ever to blame. That’s all I can focus on.”
Liverpool finished second to City in both 2019 and 2022, and retrospective trophy removal has been cited as a potential punishment, with the Premier League likely to penalise City heavily. It is understood the club intend to appeal against the guilty verdict. Robertson’s former Liverpool manager, Jürgen Klopp, has said he would throw a party if City had silverware removed.
Robertson, now at Tottenham, will win his 98th cap for Scotland and move within four of the record held by Kenny Dalglish when Scotland face Slovenia in the Nations League on Saturday.