Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, revealed the comment referee Paul Tierney made to him as he was booked for his celebration in his side’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Tottenham on Sunday.
Liverpool threw away an early three-goal lead against Spurs, culminating when Richarlison netted a stoppage-time equaliser. However, after Liverpool forward Diogo Jota scored the winner just a minute later, Klopp celebrated by confronting fourth official John Brooks.
Tierney handed Klopp a yellow card, but the Liverpool boss said after the match he was angered by remarks the referee made to him on the touchline, describing them as “not OK.”
In a news conference yesterday ahead of his side’s Premier League clash with Fulham, Klopp disclosed what Tierney said: “I couldn’t get close to the fourth official, I felt my muscle [after pulling a hamstring]. That’s it. Then Paul Tierney came over to me, I didn’t expect a red. I expected yellow. He said to me: ‘For me it’s red but because of [the fourth official], it’s yellow.’ I said, ‘Red card for what?’
“I went in, tried to calm down and couldn’t when I spoke to [the] press. Then I said that what he said was ‘not OK.’ I thought it wasn’t OK because it wasn’t a red but I opened the box with that. I should’ve just said he said it was a red card. Rest was how I felt at that moment.”
British media reported on Tuesday that Klopp faces a lengthy ban for his celebration, with the English Football Association expected to take a firm line to show it is protecting match officials.
When asked about a potential ban, the German coach said he regretted his actions and is bracing for punishment: “I shouldn’t have said what I said, but I didn’t lie.
“It’s not my hands what goes on now. We won a game 4-3 in a spectacular manner and [the] only headlines I created [were negative]. We expect a reaction because everyone tells us [a punishment] will come.”
Klopp sustained a hamstring injury during the celebration, which he said would be severe enough to keep a player out for six weeks.
