Ibrahim Oladamola
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been suspended from the touchline for Saturday’s match against Aston Villa.
The ban is part of Klopp’s punishment for comments he made to the media about official Paul Tierney following Liverpool’s dramatic 4-3 win over Tottenham at Anfield on April 30.
He will also be fined £75,000, with a further one-game touchline ban suspended until the end of next season on the condition that he does not reoffend.
An independent commission found Klopp’s words constituted improper conduct as they implied bias, questioned the integrity of the referee, were personal, offensive, and brought the game into disrepute.
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Klopp was spared the second game suspension being applied immediately because of the remorse he expressed at his next press conference on May 2 and then in a letter he sent a day later in response to the FA charge.
“The whole situation is off,” Klopp said of the touchline incident at a press conference. “Shouldn’t have happened at all. That’s how it is. It was out of emotion, was out of anger, in that moment.”
In his letter, Klopp apologised for his touchline behaviour – accepting that it was deserving of a yellow card – and subsequent “inappropriate” comments about Tierney.
“Both of these incidents were driven by emotion,” wrote the Liverpool boss. “I was overly emotional at some of the decisions made, which then led to frustration and a feeling of unfairness.
“I carried that emotion into the mandated and time sensitive post-match press commitments.”
Liverpool will be without Klopp as they chase Champions League qualification with the Reds one point off fourth having played a game more and relying on Man Utd or Newcastle to slip up.
