JURGEN KLOPP HAS been given a two-match touchline ban over comments he made about referee Paul Tierney following Liverpool’s win over Tottenham in April.
The Football Association meted out the suspension after Klopp admitted his comments, in which he accused Tierney of bearing a grudge against his team, questioned the integrity of the referee, implied bias and brought the game into disrepute.
The Liverpool manager, who has also been fined £75,000, was booked in added time of his team’s 4-3 win against Spurs at Anfield for sprinting up to the face of the fourth official whilst celebrating Diogo Jota’s dramatic late winner.
The first game of the ban is to be served immediately whilst the second is suspended until the end of next season pending future conduct.
An FA statement read: “Jurgen Klopp has been suspended from the touchline for two matches and fined €86,000 (£75,000) following media comments that he made after Liverpool’s Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur on 30 Sunday April 2023.
“The first match of the manager’s touchline ban is effective immediately and the second is suspended until the end of the 2023/24 season on the condition that he does not commit any further breaches of FA Rule E3 in the meantime.
“(He) 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.”
Klopp had just watched Liverpool snatch a stunning win over Spurs just minutes after allowing the visitors to complete a late comeback from 3-0 down.
In his post-match press conference, he said: “How they can give a foul on Mohamed Salah (just before Spurs’ third goal)? We have our history with Tierney. I really don’t know what he has against us.
“He has said there is no problems but that cannot be true. How he looks at me, I don’t understand it. My celebration was unnecessary, which is fair, but what he said to me when he gave me the yellow card is not OK.”
