Ibrahim Oladamola
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he “regrets making headlines” following his clash with referee Paul Tierney during Sunday’s win over Tottenham and admitted “the situation shouldn’t have happened”.
He revealed after the game that the anger was due to Tierney giving a soft foul against Mohamed Salah on Ben Davies in the build-up to Spurs’ equaliser to make it 3-3.
The German then reignited his feud with Tierney in his post-match interview with Terryanews, saying “I don’t know what this man has against us” – but refereeing body the PGMOL dismissed allegations of wrongdoing against the official, while the Football Association is investigating his comments.
Speaking two days on from the incident ahead of Wednesday’s home game against Fulham, Klopp said of his comments: “The whole situation should not have happened at all, that is it. It should not have happened at all, but it was out of emotion and anger in that moment.
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“That is why I celebrated like I celebrated, there was the situation with the foul on Mo (Salah]) no foul, but in my view a foul, free-kick, then another free-kick, then the goal.
“I did not say anything wrong, I was shouting: ‘Without you, without you’, which does not even make any sense.
“I did not want to get close to the fourth official, then Paul Tierney came over to me and I did not expect at all a red card to be honest, I did not feel that was right, I expected the yellow card and he said to me, ‘For me it is a red card, but because of him, it is yellow’, and he shows me a yellow and smiles in my face, that is it.
“Red card for what? So I just stood there and then left. I opened the box, not intentionally, and then I stopped talking [with Pat Davison].”
Asked whether there had been talks with Tierney or the PGMOL yet, Klopp replied: “I don’t know, it’s not in my hands what is going on.
“We won a football game 4-3 in a spectacular manner and the only headlines were about me and I really regret that, it’s not necessary and it is not how it should be.
“I have no clue what is happening now. We didn’t hear yet from the FA, the refs or anyone else.”
Klopp said: “The other things I said about Paul Tierney refereeing our games, I am sure he does not do it intentionally.
“But we have a history and I cannot deny that and I am not a resentful person, not at all, it is a waste of time. I have had to get over so many things in my life, and I get over them.
“But obviously all these things that have happened to us in the past in decisive games, they happened, not intentionally, but they happened and that is the feeling, nothing else, and that is what I said and I know the refs were obviously really angry about what I said.
“I heard I was lying – I’ve done a lot of things, but I was not lying, I should not have said a couple of things, but lying was not involved.”
Klopp added: “With all the things I maybe expect a punishment. Refs think I questioned their integrity, which if I am sitting here now calm, I don’t do. We have to wait to see what they come back with.”
