CHELSEA boss Mauricio Pochettino faces an FA probe for his outburst about match officials favouring Liverpool.
In the build-up to the Carabao Cup final against the Reds, Pochettino claimed on-field and VAR officials treated the Blues unfairly in the 4-1 defeat at Anfield on January 31.
Head coach Pochettino appeared to link the performance of referee Paul Tierney and his team to Kop boss Jurgen Klopp announcing a few days before that he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.
And the FA are set to study Pochettino’s comments to see if they merit a charge.
Pochettino went to great lengths to make his point about Liverpool in his pre-final press conference in what could be regarded as an attempt to influence today’s referee Chris Kavanagh.
The Blues boss said: “We need to be sure we are going to compete and be fair in every single decision.
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“When we played Liverpool at Anfield, not one key decision was for us. Two penalties were not given.
“Duels, 50-50s, always red. I want to be treated in a fair way.
“I am the first to say Liverpool is amazing and Klopp is one of the best coaches in the world.
“But after my last experience playing there, what I want is to play a game at the same level and the best team wins.
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“We want both clubs to be seen in the same way.”
And when asked if Chelsea were playing the role of party poopers as Liverpool try to send off Klopp in style, Pochettino said: “No. We want to win because of Chelsea.
“Of course Liverpool want to win. But please, not another party involved in the game will be part of the celebration that Klopp is leaving, no? That is important.”
Chelsea were particularly furious that they were not awarded penalties at Anfield for fouls on Conor Gallager and Christopher Nkunku.
Pochettino was unhappy that VAR did not intervene and ask Tierney to look again at his decisions.
VAR will be used in today’s final for the first time in this season’s Carabao Cup.
Pochettino said: “I am pro-VAR.
“But the problem is always the same: who are the referees that are watching the TV and how we use VAR.
“The system, the technology is not the problem. I think it helps.
“The way it is used between the referees on the pitch and the referees in the room, that is the key.
“Sometimes the same situation brings a different decision. That is the difficult thing for coaches to accept, and the fans.”
Pochettino was able to see the funny side about what happened last time he faced Klopp and Liverpool in a showpiece game.
The Argentine led Spurs to the 2019 Champions League final, only for referee Damir Skomina to award a controversial penalty against Tottenham’s Moussa Sissoko for handball in the opening minute.
Uefa had introduced VAR to their flagship competition for the first time in the 2019 knockout rounds, but the video officials saw no reason to overturn Skomina’s decision.
Pochettino laughed as he said: “Were we playing with VAR or without? Because the ball on Sissoko after 30 seconds was here [pointing to his armpit].
“Today do you think they would give a penalty?”
But Pochettino was not joking in his comments about the officials in Chelsea’s last meeting with Liverpool.
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Ironically, Klopp himself was charged with improper conduct for comments he made about Tierney after Liverpool’s 4-3 win over Tottenham last season.
Klopp copped a two-match touchline ban and a £75,000 fine for accusing Tierney of being biased against the Reds.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
