The behavior of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp during the Reds’ 4-3 win over Tottenham on Sunday caused controversy, leading to investigations by the FA and referee Paul Tierney being taken out of the firing line by the PGMOL.
Klopp sprinted down the touchline to celebrate Diogo Jota’s last-gasp winner in the face of fourth official John Brooks and then made allegations about Tierney in his post-match interview.
“We have our story, our history with Mr Tierney,”
Klopp told Sky Sports on Sunday.
“I really don’t know what this man has with us. I really don’t know. He will always say there’s nothing – and it’s not true, it cannot be.
I have to say. It cannot be, I don’t understand it. I’m really not sure if it’s me because he looks at me… I don’t understand it.”
Klopp insinuated that Tierney had a grudge against him and his team and also suggested he had said something inappropriate while issuing him with a yellow card.
Asked to comment on the events of Sunday afternoon when speaking at his press conference this afternoon, Klopp told reporters:
“The whole situation shouldn’t have happened at all. It was out of emotion, anger and that is never a good leader for the things you do.
I was still angry, which led to the way I celebrated. I didn’t say anything wrong. I was shouting ‘Without you’, without you’. It doesn’t even make a lot of sense, but that was all.”
He continued,
“I expected a yellow card in that moment and he said to me
‘For me, it’s a red card but because of him [fourth official] it’s yellow’.
He showed me a yellow card and smiled at my face, that’s it.”
Refereeing body the PGMOL released a statement to “strongly refute” Klopp’s allegations and the Liverpool boss is expected to be slapped with a lengthy touchline ban.
Tierney has already been exonerated by his employers, the PGMOL, for his part in the Klopp confrontation, although Klopp has apologized for his behavior. The investigation and Tierney being taken out of the firing line mean he will not take charge of a Premier League game this weekend.
However, he will be the fourth official for Manchester United’s trip to West Ham on Sunday before heading to Stockley Park to become the VAR for Nottingham Forest’s hugely important basement battle with Southampton on Monday.
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