Manchester City have “strongly condemned” the actions of those responsible for damage to the Liverpool team coach on its journey back from the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.<\/span><\/p>\n Greater Manchester Police has launched an investigation after reports of criminal damage.<\/span><\/p>\n “Incidents of this kind are totally unacceptable,” City said.<\/span><\/p>\n The Premier League champions added in a statement: “We strongly condemn the actions of the individual(s) responsible.<\/span><\/p>\n “We will fully support Greater Manchester Police’s investigation into this incident in any way we can.”<\/span><\/p>\n Police said they incident took place at approximately 3.40pm on Ashton New Road close to the junction of Rowsley Street – the road behind the Etihad.<\/span><\/p>\n They said there were no injuries and the coach continued with its journey.<\/span><\/p>\n “An investigation has now been launched by Greater Manchester Police to identify and locate the offenders,” GMP said in a statement.<\/span><\/p>\n The club also said they were “disappointed” by “inappropriate chants” by their fans during the game.<\/span><\/p>\n The chants taunting Liverpool fans were heard during the first half of the match.<\/span><\/p>\n City added: “We regret any offence these chants may have caused and will continue to work with supporter groups and officials from both clubs to eradicate hateful chanting from this fixture.”<\/span><\/p>\n The Premier League condemned the chanting and said it was “treating the issue of tragedy chanting as a priority and as a matter of urgency”.<\/span><\/p>\n Peter Scarfe, chair of the Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance, said broadcaster BT should have lowered the crowd noise and called on City do do more.<\/span><\/p>\n “I can’t believe this is happening all over again,” he told BBC Radio Merseyside.<\/span><\/p>\n “Why aren’t they reaching out to us? We are the ones who are picking up the pieces.”<\/span><\/p>\n October’s reverse fixture between the two clubs at Anfield was also overshadowed by similar ‘tragedy chanting’.<\/span><\/p>\n An image also showed damage <\/span>to the City windscreen after their 1-0 defeat,<\/span><\/a> with detectives investigating a complaint of alleged criminal damage<\/span><\/p>\n In 2018, <\/span>City’s bus was attacked<\/span><\/a> before a Champions League quarter-final, when bottles, cans and flares were thrown.<\/span><\/p>\n City manager Pep Guardiola said members of the Anfield crowd threw coins at him during October’s league meeting, following which he <\/span>apologised for supporter chants<\/span><\/a> which referenced the Hillsborough and Heysel tragedies.<\/span><\/p>\n Last month, Liverpool and Manchester United managers Jurgen Klopp and Erik ten Hag <\/span>called for an end to “tragedy chanting”<\/span><\/a> in a joint statement before the two sides met.<\/span><\/p>\n In November, the Football Association had <\/span>expressed concerns over the rise of “abhorrent chants”<\/span><\/a> related to stadium tragedies – including by fans of City and United on visits to Anfield.<\/span><\/p>\n In February, Manchester United and Leeds United <\/span>“strongly condemned”<\/span><\/a> chants about historic tragedies when they met at Elland Road.<\/span><\/p>\n Ninety-seven Liverpool fans lost their lives as a result of a crush at an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest, at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium, on 15 April 1989.<\/span><\/p>\n It remains the UK’s worst sporting disaster, with a jury at an inquest later ruling <\/span>that the fans were unlawfully killed.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\nCity ‘disappointed’ by chants<\/h3>\n
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