JURGEN KLOPP has been hit with a ONE game ban for slamming ref Paul Tierney, with a further game suspended until the end of next season.
The Liverpool boss WILL be in the dug-out for the Anfield side’s final game of the season – despite accusing the official of having an agenda against his side.
In what was a surprisingly lenient penalty, an FA spokesperson announced that Klopp, who was fined £75,000, had been handed a two game touchline ban.
However, Wembley beaks added: “The first match of the manager’s touchline ban is effective immediately.
“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.”
Klopp admitted his comments were “improper” as “they imply bias, question the integrity of the referee, are personal, offensive, and bring the game into disrepute”.
It was expected he would be hit with a two game ban, ruling him out of the rest of the campaign.
Instead, while Klopp will be in the stands for Liverpool’s game against Aston Villa on Saturday, he will be able to return to a pitchside view for the final game of the campaign at Southampton on May 28.
Klopp was charged the day after he accused Tierney of having an agenda against his team and giving biased decisions – despite failing to send off match-winner Diogo Jota in the dramatic 4-3 victory over Spurs on April 30.
The Liverpool boss, who pulled back from the brink of an altercation with the fourth official after Jota’s last-gasp winner, used his post-match press conferences to slam Tierney.
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Klopp claimed: “We have our history with Tierney, I really don’t know what he has against us.
“He has said there [are] no problems but that cannot be true.”
Klopp also suggested that, when he was booked for his behaviour after Jota’s goal, Tierney said things to him “that were not ok”.
PGMOL bosses took the unusual step of publicly backing Tierney – and implicitly rebuking Klopp.
Indeed refs’ chief Howard Webb added only on Tuesday: “Based on what I witnessed, Paul Tierney behaved in an appropriate way and needed our support.”
The three-man disciplinary commission, which sat to hear the case on Monday – Klopp did not attend ahead of Liverpool’s win at Leicester – heard details of the touchline clash.
Fourth official John Brooks told Tierney: “Jurgen Klopp has just run and celebrated in my face. I think it’s a yellow card mate, minimum.”
The commission agreed: “Mr Brooks considered Mr Klopp’s conduct to be misplaced celebration rather than an aggressive or threatening move.”
Tierney then asked the VAR officials in Stockley Park for advice and was told a yellow card was sufficient.
When he went to issue the card, Tierney told Klopp: “Right. I have to show you yellow.
“It could be red, but I am going to show you yellow. He said yellow. We will give you the benefit of the doubt, don’t do anything more.”
I am sorry for some of the tone and content of my post-match interview
Jurgen Klopp
In a written submission, Klopp said he was “sorry”, describing that as “the most important sentiment I must express”.
Klopp added: “I am sorry for some of the tone and content of my post-match interview.
“Although it was not my intention I accept now it appears that I was questioning Mr Tierney’s integrity.
“I take ownership of this. On reflection, the words I used were inappropriate.”
Klopp added that his responses were “driven by emotion and a feeling of unfairness”, pointed out how swiftly he had to carry out his post-match duties and that “English is not my primary language and at times what I mean to say and how I say it can conflict”.
He also pointed out that Tierney had been in charge of a number of Liverpool matches this season – seven of his 26 Prem appointments up to that game.
Klopp said: “That could be a reason for both the build-up of frustration governed by an inadvertent accumulation of incidents over an extended period.
“I was trying to express how I felt whilst dealing with the frustration I was feeling around a number of decisions made during the game.
“It was about feelings and emotions.
“To be absolutely clear, I know that Mr. Tierney, along with all other officials, do their work without any pre-conceived bias or prejudice.”
FA lawyers described Klopp’s comments as “a particularly serious example of misconduct involving media comments about a match official” and that they were “particularly more damaging” than typical post-match gripes.
The commission found that these were “allegations of persistent bias against a blameless referee”, “highly damaging” and “unacceptable”.
Despite that, it agreed that Klopp, who appeared to change tack in his next media appearance, had shown “genuine remorse”.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
