Kieran Maguire: Liverpool have dodged fan ‘protests’ as £50m-a-year contract signed
Liverpool fans will be relieved that the club has opted to refresh their front-of-shirt deal with Standard Chartered rather than go down the cryptocurrency route.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the latest major commercial news on Merseyside.
Liverpool announced on Thursday (14 July) that they have renewed their contract with banking and financial services firm Standard Chartered for another four seasons.
Per The Times later that day, the deal is worth £50million per year, a £10m increase on the previous arrangement.
It was widely reported earlier this year that the Reds were considering a cryptocurrency deal as they weighed up their front-of-shirt options.
But their first venture into the blockchain industry in the form of a range of collectable NFTs was not well received by supporters’ groups like Spirit of Shankly.
And Maguire insists that bedrock Liverpool fans will be delighted that the board have moved away from the controversial industry.
“Fan groups will be happy,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“There is a lot of unease within fan groups because they hold the club to account.
“You only have to look at what the fans have managed to do when they protested decisions which they didn’t feel represents the history of the badge.
“We saw that when they tried to copyright the name ‘Liverpool’, increase ticket prices, and launch the Super League.
“I would imagine that the majority of fans will be relieved because there is a sense of discomfort associated with being in league with an unregulated, highly volatile and easily manipulated industry such as crypto.”
In other news, pundit suggests Liverpool fan pressure may be getting to Jurgen Klopp as transfer quotes emerge.