Liverpool are the latest club to face scrutiny after taking a short-haul flight following their Premier League win over Newcastle United on Saturday.
Despite topping BBC's sustainability poll last season, the club decided to forego the three hour coach journey back to Merseyside, in favour of the half-hour flight.
Journalist Felix Keith was the most vocal of critics, writing for the Mirror: "Liverpool were named the greenest Premier League club by Sport Positive in 2022, with the organisation praising the club’s work in the community and for signing up to the UN Sports for Climate Action pledge, which means they hope to reduce emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and be net zero by 2040."
"They're role models - and absolutely not "walking the talk" when it comes to sustainability," wrote one commenter on Twitter, with another saying that "By the time they'd driven out of town to the airport, got through and boarded the plane they could have been half-way home by coach."
However, Liverpool argued that because of their congested fixture list and their massive Champions League fixture against Real Madrid on Tuesday, that taking a flight home was the best course of action for recovery and preparation.
Many fans were also in agreement with the club.
Liverpool Come Under Scrutiny For Short Haul Flight
I've written a lot of stuff about sustainability in football - and there are a lot of well-meaning initiatives.
But there's always an elephant in the room: short-haul flights.
Last night, after beating Newcastle, Liverpool took a 33-minute flight home. pic.twitter.com/XUT639oOHK— Felix Keith (@felixkeith) February 19, 2023
Taking a 33 minute flight from Newcastle to Liverpool is crazy https://t.co/SMp7d4PfiW
— Adam Flynn (@AdamFlynn_) February 18, 2023
READ HERE: Rafael Benitez Feels Liverpool Should Learn From Real Madrid Approach To Midfield Rebuild
Steve Cooper and Graham Potter have both spoken this season after Nottingham Forest and Chelsea received similar backlash for taking short haul flights.
Cooper: "Whether it is right or wrong, I think it is pretty normal for a team, in the Premier League particularly, and for a lot of Championship teams, to fly distances like that. It's probably not just a question for Nottingham Forest. It is probably a question for the whole of the Premier League. We are no outliers here. In fact, because of where we are situated in the country, we probably fly less than most.
Potter: "How we fly to Premier League games is something to consider. We fly domestically – that’s also a challenge. We should be able to find a solution, definitely. It isn’t straightforward but if we are serious about it, which we should be, then we should think about it."
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