It was supposed to be a simple night of football at the Etihad. Manchester City were playing Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, the floodlights were shining, and Pep Guardiola’s side were once again showing their dominance. But while most of the attention was on Erling Haaland and Phil Foden, another name suddenly appeared in the headlines—Jamie Carragher. The Liverpool legend turned Sky Sports pundit somehow found himself in the middle of a strange story that blended rivalry, controversy, and the shadow of City’s 115 charges.
Carragher, who has built a reputation for being outspoken since hanging up his boots, had asked for something unusual before the match. He wanted to stand in the away end with the Borussia Dortmund fans, just like he had done a year earlier in Germany when he joined the famous Yellow Wall during their semi-final clash against Paris Saint-Germain. That night in Dortmund had gone viral. Carragher was filmed singing, drinking beer, and celebrating with the fans as if he were one of them. For him, it was pure football—a night of passion and culture.
But this time, Manchester City said no. When Carragher’s request reached the Etihad officials, it was quickly rejected. The reason? They feared trouble. Carragher, after all, is a Liverpool icon. His entire career—737 matches—was spent at Anfield. To have him standing in the away section at the Etihad, celebrating Dortmund goals while City fans filled the rest of the stadium, felt like lighting a fuse next to a barrel of fireworks.
According to reports from journalist Mike Keegan, both UEFA and Manchester City immediately turned down the proposal. UEFA said his media credentials didn’t allow him to switch from the press area to the stands. City’s decision, however, was more emotional. They simply didn’t want the drama. Having a man so strongly tied to their biggest Premier League rival cheering in the away end didn’t feel wise. And they weren’t wrong—football rivalries run deep in England, and City versus Liverpool is as fierce as it gets these days.
When the news broke, Carragher was not happy. Instead of staying quiet, he responded with a dig of his own. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he wrote that he was just trying to have a good time with the Dortmund fans and that there was “no problem” it wasn’t allowed. But then came the sting. He told Keegan that he should have messaged him directly instead of getting his story from “Simon at Man City,” and then added a sharp line that instantly went viral: “Probably explains why you’re so sympathetic around the 115 charges.”
That last sentence hit like a thunderbolt. Once again, the dark cloud of Manchester City’s ongoing legal battle with the Premier League reappeared. City are accused of 115 alleged breaches of financial rules between 2009 and 2018—a period that covers some of their early Premier League title wins under Sheikh Mansour’s ownership. The case is still unresolved, but it follows City everywhere they go. So when Carragher brought it up, it was like reopening an old wound.
Fans immediately split into camps. Liverpool supporters found it hilarious, praising Carragher for the jab. City fans, on the other hand, were furious. To them, it was another example of media bias—another pundit taking shots at their club without waiting for the verdict. But whatever side you were on, there was no denying that Carragher had once again found a way to make headlines without even stepping onto the pitch.
The irony is that Carragher wasn’t even trying to stir up trouble. By all accounts, he genuinely wanted to join the Dortmund supporters again. Before the game, he was filmed walking from Manchester city centre to the stadium alongside German fans, holding a Dortmund scarf and joining in their chants. He laughed, posed for pictures, and even accepted beers from strangers. “They’re enjoying themselves, they’re looking forward to the game and a little bit worried about Haaland,” he said with a smile. “But they’ve got Guirassy up front, and hopefully, by the end of the game, they’ll really enjoy themselves—and I might join them.”
It was typical Carragher—unfiltered, football-loving, and just a little mischievous. But in modern football, where every move is watched, recorded, and debated, even a simple gesture can turn into a story. And this one quickly became the talk of England.
Some fans online mocked him, calling the whole thing attention-seeking. “He’s already demonstrated a huge error of judgment which nearly cost him his livelihood,” one fan commented under the article. “Given that there was actually some nasty-looking trouble in the away end that evening, City might have done him a favour.” Others defended him, saying that football needs more personalities like Carragher—people who love the game enough to experience it from the fans’ side rather than just from the commentary box.
But it was Carragher’s “115 charges” comment that kept echoing long after the match ended. For many, it reminded them that City’s ongoing case is still the elephant in the room of English football. Every time the club celebrates another win or breaks another record, someone, somewhere, brings up the charges. And when the man doing it is a Liverpool legend, it only adds fuel to an already burning rivalry.
Manchester City went on to win the game 4-1. Haaland scored, Foden scored, and even new signing Rayan Cherki added his name to the scoresheet. The Etihad crowd was in full voice. But while the football was brilliant, the headlines the next morning were still about Carragher. The man wasn’t even inside the stadium, yet his shadow hung over it.
It’s not the first time Carragher has found himself in controversy since becoming a pundit. He has a fiery personality, never afraid to speak his mind. Sometimes it gets him in trouble, but it’s also what makes him one of the most-watched figures in English football media. He knows how to make people react. And this time, he managed to turn a Champions League night into another chapter of the Liverpool-Man City rivalry.
Behind the scenes, people at City reportedly weren’t pleased. They viewed his comments as unnecessary and disrespectful, especially since their case with the Premier League is still ongoing. For Pep Guardiola and his players, it was another reminder that, no matter what they do on the pitch, there will always be critics waiting off it. Pep himself has often spoken about the charges, insisting that the club has done nothing wrong and that the truth will come out. But until then, the noise remains.
For Carragher, though, it was just another night in the life of a pundit who refuses to play it safe. He had tried to bring back the energy of his famous trip to Dortmund, but instead, he ended up reigniting one of football’s biggest talking points. In his eyes, it was harmless fun. But in football, especially in the world of social media and deep rivalries, nothing is ever just fun anymore.
Still, there’s something undeniably fascinating about how the story unfolded. Here was Jamie Carragher—a man who bled Liverpool red—trying to blend in with yellow-and-black Dortmund fans at the home of Manchester City. He didn’t care about optics or opinions. He just wanted to be part of football again, to feel the pulse of the crowd, to sing and shout and drink and remember what it felt like to be one of them. But in the world of modern football politics, even that is complicated.
As the days passed, the memes, jokes, and debates continued online. Some called him brave, others called him foolish. But everyone agreed on one thing—Carragher knows how to keep himself in the conversation. Whether it’s punditry, banter, or just pure mischief, he always finds a way to stir emotions.
And somewhere in Manchester, Pep Guardiola probably smiled quietly, focusing on the football and leaving the drama to others. His team had just delivered another masterclass, the Etihad was singing, and the 115 charges? That battle, like Carragher’s antics, was for another day.
Football never sleeps, and neither does its noise. But one thing is certain—Jamie Carragher’s short walk with Dortmund fans will be remembered not for what he did, but for what he said. And once again, a few words about “115 charges” were enough to remind the world that some rivalries are fought as much with words as they are with goals.
