Jurgen Klopp Gets Two-Match Ban For ‘Unwarranted Attack’ On Referee

Jurgen Klopp was given a two-match touchline suspension by referee Paul Tierney for suggesting bias, and his poor track record with discipline and disregard for prior conduct warnings were aggravating considerations.

In addition to being fined £75,000 (€86,000), Klopp will miss their final home Premier League game of the year against Aston Villa on Saturday. However, the second game of his penalty has been postponed until the end of the next campaign.

The German acknowledged being accused of unethical behavior since his remarks regarding Tierney suggested bias, called into question the referee’s impartiality and denigrated the sport.

Klopp, who was booked for celebrating in the face of fourth official John Brooks after Diogo Jota’s added-time goal in the 4-3 win over Tottenham last month, suggested in post-match interviews what Tierney had said to him in issuing the caution was “not OK” and went on to add “we have our story, history, with Mr. Tierney. I don’t know what this man has with us”.

According to the independent disciplinary commission’s written justifications, Professional Game Match Officials Limited saw Klopp’s remarks as an “unwarranted attack on Mr. Tierney’s integrity” and defended the official right away.

While Klopp’s later apology and letter to the commission were judged “considerable mitigation,” it was his past that worked against him. In it, he clarified his remarks and denied questioning Tierney’s honesty.

“Mr. Klopp has a poor record for disciplinary offenses, having appeared before commissions on three occasions in the past five years,” said the commission in its written reasons.

“In November 2022 in an appeal in which two members of the present commission sat, Mr Klopp received a touchline ban, a fine, and a warning.

“Those sanctions plainly failed to deter Mr. Klopp from committing nine similar breaches of the rules. Mr. Klopp is a high-profile individual in the football world. He must have known that what he said would attract widespread publicity.

He should have realized that it was incumbent on him to restrain himself and behave properly.

“The statements that Mr. Klopp made/adopted were not limited to comments on the immediate match but extended to allegations of persistent bias against a blameless referee.

“The intense media interest that followed Mr. Klopp’s remarks was highly damaging.”

Klopp created a problem for himself when he charged down the touchline following Jota’s goal after Tottenham’s 90th-minute equalizer had canceled out Liverpool’s earlier 3-0 lead.

From the evidence obtained from the officials’ audio, Brooks told Tierney “Jurgen Klopp has just run and celebrated in my face. I think it’s a yellow card mate, minimum”.

VAR backed up Brooks’ opinion and in booking Klopp, Tierney said: “I have to show you yellow… it could be red, but I am going to show you yellow. We will give you the benefit of the doubt, don’t do anything more.”

Those were the comments Klopp deemed “not OK” but it was not his behavior on the pitch which produced the disciplinary charge but the aspersions he cast at Tierney, which he subsequently withdrew in a press conference a couple of days later and in a letter of apology to the commission.