After Liverpool’s victory over Tottenham, manager Jurgen Klopp criticized Paul Tierney, earning him a suspension.
Following remarks made after the 4-3 victory over Tottenham last month, Jurgen Klopp has been fined £75,000 and banned from the sidelines for two Liverpool games, one of which will be suspended.
When Aston Villa visit Liverpool on Saturday, it will be Klopp’s final game at Anfield before the season ends next Sunday against Southampton. As a result of the immediate suspension, Klopp will watch from the stands.
Nevertheless, according to the Football Association, the second ban is postponed until the end of the 2023–24 campaign, provided that Klopp refrains from breaking FA Rule E3 during that time.
When Klopp celebrated in front of fourth official John Brooks after Diogo Jota’s injury-time winner on April 30, referee Paul Tierney issued Klopp a warning.
Klopp claimed that match official Tierney wanted to send him off for the second time this season after his dismissal against Manchester City in October, but that he only gave him a caution after Mr. Brooks advised him to do so.
“Jurgen Klopp admitted that his comments regarding the match referee during post-match media interviews constitute improper conduct as they imply bias, question the integrity of the referee, are personal, offensive, and bring the game into disrepute,” read a statement from the FA on Thursday.
“These sanctions were imposed by an independent Regulatory Commission following a subsequent hearing, and its written justifications are shown below.”
After the thrilling game at Anfield, Klopp spoke to Sky Sports and said, “We have our history with Tierney; I really don’t know what he has against us. He claimed there were no issues, but that can’t be true.
“I don’t know why he looks at me the way he does. These situations are extremely complex and difficult to comprehend, yet nobody in England is required to explain them. I received a yellow card, and he said something to me that was inappropriate.”
Later, the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) refuted Klopp’s account of what happened, writing on their website: “PGMOL is aware of the comments made by Jurgen Klopp after his side’s match against Tottenham Hotspur. A communications system records all match officials in the Premier League.
“After carefully listening to the referee Paul Tierney’s audio from today’s game, we can say with confidence that he conducted himself professionally at all times, including when he cautioned Liverpool manager. Determining Tierney’s actions to be improper is something we vehemently dispute.”
The following week, Klopp said in a press conference, “I tried to calm down, but it didn’t work out properly. I went into all the interviews, and then I said what I said. I am aware that [Tierney] is not doing it knowingly, but you cannot ignore the fact that we have a past.
“These nice things that have happened in previous pivotal games. I’m not a resentful person at all. They did not occur on purpose, but they are still present. The officials are extremely irate over what I said. I made a few mistakes in my speech, but I didn’t lie.”
After reacting angrily to Bernardo Silva’s challenge on Mohamed Salah in the game’s closing moments, Klopp was charged by the FA and fined £30,000 in October. The incident occurred during the 1-0 victory over Manchester City.
