Jurgen Klopp CLEARED by the FA for comments about Paul Tierney following Liverpool’s latest win over Tottenham over the weekend which saw the Reds boss booked for confrontation with the fourth official
- Jurgen Klopp charged by FA for comments about Paul Tierney
- The German appeared to be insinuating that Tierney was having a good time with his Liverpool team
- FA claims Klopp’s post-match comments amount to accusations of bias
Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp has been charged by the FA over comments made about Paul Tierney in the wake of The Reds’ victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
The German was particularly animated throughout, eventually receiving a yellow card after clashing with fourth official John Brooks, after Diogo Jota’s late winner, who came just 99 seconds after Richarlison looked to have given Tottenham an unlikely point from 3-0.
Afterwards, Klopp questioned what Tierney had against him and his side, comments that have been interpreted as insinuating bias, as set out in the FA’s statement detailing the charges against the Liverpool manager.
“Jürgen Klopp of Liverpool FC has been charged following their Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur FC on Sunday, April 30,” the FA said in a statement.
It is alleged that the manager’s comments about the match official during post-match media interviews constitute inappropriate behavior in that they imply bias, and/or call into question the integrity of the referee, and/or are personal/offensive , and/or the game in disrepute.
Jurgen Klopp has been charged by the FA for comments about Paul Tierney
Klopp claimed that Tierney (not pictured) had it for his team and they had history
Diogo Jota’s goal sparked wild celebrations at Anfield – though people were baffled by Klopp’s reaction to the goal
“Jurgen Klopp has until Friday, May 5 to respond.”
It has been reported that the size of Klopp’s own criminal record is such that he could face a significant touchline ban, and Sunday’s incident was not his first encounter with refereeing authorities.
Klopp admitted on Tuesday that he “regretted” his actions in the wake of Jota’s goal.
“How can they foul Mohamed Salah [before Spurs’ third goal]?’ Klopp told Sky Sports when asked to explain his bizarre confrontation from the fourth official after the winning goal on Sunday.
Jota scored just 99 seconds after Richarlison appeared to have given Tottenham an unlikely point
“We have our history with us [Paul] Tierney, I really don’t know what this man has against us, he has said there are no problems, but that can’t be true.
“The way he looks at me, I don’t understand. But again? He refed against Tottenham [in 2021] where Harry Kane should have been shown a red card. And I love this player, crazy player and I don’t want him to get a red card, but he should.
“And it’s Mr. Tierney. It’s really tricky and difficult to understand.’
On Tuesday, Klopp accepted misconduct and retracted his perceived allegations of bias, insisting that Tierney was not intentionally fouling his team – while again noting that the sides have ‘history’.
His comments show that Klopp is unlikely to sue the FA over their allegations.
“The whole situation should not have happened,” Klopp said. ‘I didn’t say anything wrong [to fourth official John Brooks].
“I yelled, ‘Without you, without you.’ It didn’t make much sense, but that was all. Paul Tierney came up to me and I didn’t expect a red card at all because I felt like it wasn’t right.
The FA said the audio recorded during the match had been reviewed and Tierney appeared to have acted in a professional manner throughout
It is not the first time this season that Klopp has run into problems with the FA
“I was expecting a yellow card and he said to me: ‘For me it’s a red card, but because of him’ – that’s what I understood, because it was loud in the stadium – ‘it’s yellow’. Showed me a yellow and smiled on my face. That is it.
“The things that are made of what Paul Tierney said to me, I didn’t say. I said, “What he said to me wasn’t OK” and I thought it wasn’t OK because it wasn’t a red card in my eyes.
“I understand that I opened the box. The rest was how I felt at the time when Paul Tierney judged our competitions. I’m quite sure he’s not doing it on purpose, but we have a history and I can’t deny that.’
Klopp was suspended for one match earlier this season for his behavior during Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Manchester City at Anfield. He was also fined £30,000 and warned of his future behaviour.