Manchester City’s emphatic 3‑0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday has sparked a fresh wave of criticism, this time directed at the way the players celebrated the win. Enzo Maresca, the club’s sporting director, dismissed the backlash in a press conference on Tuesday, insisting that the team’s reaction was a natural response to a hard‑fought result.
Maresca explained that the celebrations were a reflection of the players’ joy inside the dressing room, a sentiment that he believes should be respected even amid the club’s ongoing legal battle with the Premier League. “We won 3‑0 at Anfield, what do you want us to do?” he asked. “Even if it was 1‑0, it would be exactly the same. We work every day to win games. It’s the only thing that we can think of.” He added that the emotional response on the pitch was separate from the external criticism the club faces, and that the team’s focus remains on performance.
Captain Rúben Dias echoed Maresca’s stance, stating that the players should be allowed to celebrate freely after a match. “I very much stand by the manager’s words,” Dias said. “I think we will enjoy it just as much and celebrate however it feels in the moment. It will be a show of how much it means to us.” Dias also highlighted that the squad remains calm and trusts the club’s leadership despite the uncertainty surrounding the appeal of the financial‑fair‑play ruling that saw City found guilty of breaching Premier League regulations.
The verdict, which the club has formally appealed, was handed down after an independent commission concluded that City had violated financial rules. The appeal process has left the club’s future in limbo, but the players appear to have maintained their composure on the field. Maresca noted that keeping the squad focused has been easier than dealing with fan reactions, describing the latter as “more complicated” and “tougher for our fans than for the players or for me.”
The controversy comes as City prepare to host reigning European champions Paris Saint‑Germain at the Etihad Stadium for their first home game since the guilty verdict. While the club’s supporters continue to grapple with the legal implications, the players and coaching staff remain committed to their objectives, celebrating victories in a manner they feel is appropriate to the moment.