Klopp shows sympathy for Guardiola after Manchester City European ban

Liverpool managerJuergen Kloppsaid he had sympathy for his Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola in the wake of the English champions' two-year ban from European football dished out by UEFA for allegedly breaching Financial Fair Play rules.

With City's domestic title challenge all but over, withLiverpool25 points ahead after beating Norwich City 1-0 away on Saturday,Kloppsaid the news on Friday about the European ban for the Manchester club had taken him by surprise.

[Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reacts (Courtesy: Reuters) ]

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"It was a shock. Complete wow!" he told Sky Sports. "The only thing I can say is about football. What they have done onthe football pitch is exceptional. The rest, I don't know. I feel for them, Pep and the players, but that is how it is. They can appeal so we willsee what happensthen. It is serious."

"But the football they played was exceptional and willalways be exceptional." European soccer's governing body UEFA said City had committed "serious breaches" of its FFP regulations by "overstating its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and thebreak-even informationsubmitted to UEFA between 2012 and 2016."

City denied any wrongdoing and said they will appeal to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).