Jurgen Klopp looks certain to face an FA inquiry for another brutal put down of referee Paul Tierney, after an insane contest against Spurs.
There is a history of bad blood between the two, and this time, Klopp was booked for wild celebration after Liverpool ’s 94th minute winner, as he seemed to scream in fourth official John Brooks’ face. But afterwards, the bemused Liverpool manager said with real cutting intent that Tierney’s comments when brandishing the card were out of order:
“We have our history with [Paul] Tierney, I really don’t know what he has against us, he has said there is no problems but that cannot be true. My celebration was unnecessary, which is fair but what he said to me when he gave me the yellow card is not ok."
"How he looks at me, I don’t understand it. In England nobody has to clarify these situations, it’s really tricky and hard to understand."
Tierney was the ref at the centre of huge controversy at Anfield a month ago, when his assistant Constantine Hatzidakis elbowed Andy Robertson in the face at half time during the game against Arsenal.
But the bad blood goes back further, with both officials involved in December 2021, when Tierney sent off Robertson, but didn’t dismiss Harry Kane for an identical challenge, and Klopp furiously berated the referee.
And Klopp seemed to suggest that while he will be punished for his antics - through the pain of a comedy hamstring pull whilst celebrating - Tierney will again escape without censure for his performance.
Asked about his injury, Klopp replied: “Bad enough. So fair punishment for behaving in not the right away. I have pain for a few days, Mr Tierney not.
“I will be ready to do what I always do and the celebrations if we have something to celebrate will be much calmer.”
The FA are likely to look at Klopp’s approach to the fourth official, which looked aggressive, and also his comments about the referee.
But while the Reds boss refused to expand on what Tierney said to him, he insisted that he made no improper comments to the officials.
“I will not say anything about it. The refs don’t say what is said so I don’t say what is said,” he replied on Tierney’s ‘not ok’ comments.
“But I didn’t say a bad word to the fourth official – not at all. I turned around to the 4th official, celebrated in that direction and pulled my hamstring probably in that moment.
“So fair enough, all good. I’m already punished, I got a yellow card on top of that, I think he thought I should have got a different punishment but because of the fourth official, it was a yellow card. That’s it. We have to ask Mr Tierney what is going on.”
