After Liverpool scored an injury-time winner for a 4-3
victory of Tottenham on Sunday — having given up a 3-0 lead — Klopp ran
straight over to the fourth official on the sideline to celebrate in front of
him. Klopp, who seemed to pull his hamstring in the process, was then shown a
yellow card by referee Paul Tierney.
Klopp acknowledged he deserved the booking for his
celebration but then accused Tierney of saying something that was “not OK” and
suggested that the referee had some kind of agenda against his club. The German
manager also criticized Tierney after last season’s 2-2 draw against Tottenham
for failing to send off star striker Harry Kane in the game.
“We have our history with Mr. Tierney. I really don’t know
what this man has with us. I really don’t know. He always will say there’s
nothing, and it’s not true. It cannot be,” Klopp told Sky Sports after the wild
finish at Anfield. “I’m really not sure if it’s me, because how he looks at me,
I don’t understand it. My celebration towards the fourth official, I didn’t say
any bad words, nothing, but it was unnecessary. I got punished for that
immediately, I pulled my hamstring or an adductor or whatever. So fine, that’s
fair. But what he said to me then when he gave me the yellow card ... it’s not
OK.”
However, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited —
which oversees referees for the Premier League — defended Tierney after
reviewing the audio of his conversation with Klopp.
“Match officials in the Premier League are recorded in all
games via a communications system,” the PGMOL said in a statement Monday,”
adding that Tierney “acted in a professional manner throughout including when
issuing the caution to the Liverpool manager so, therefore, we strongly refute
any suggestion that Tierney’s actions were improper.”
Klopp, who also criticized Tierney for awarding Tottenham a
free kick that led to the equalizer, could face further disciplinary action
ahead of Liverpool’s remaining five games. Fifth-place Liverpool still has an
outside chance of qualifying for the Champions League, but would need to close
a seven-point gap to fourth-place Manchester United, which has played one game
fewer.
Klopp served a one-game ban and was warned about his conduct
when the English Football Association won an appeal case over the German’s
criticism of an assistant referee during a home win over Manchester City in
October.
Liverpool has qualified for the Champions League in each of
Klopp’s previous six full seasons at the club, going on to win the European
title in 2019 against Tottenham and losing two other finals to Real Madrid.
Playing in the second-tier Europa League next season would
likely cost Liverpool about 50 million euros ($55 million) in lost prize money
from UEFA.
Liverpool next hosts Fulham on Wednesday and also welcomes
Brentford to Anfield on Saturday. -AP