"I have no idea what his problem is with me" - Jurgen Klopp slams Paul Tierney for inconsistent decision-making in Liverpool-Tottenham game
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp expressed his fury regarding inconsistency in the decisions made by referee Paul Tierney during their 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
Klopp was unhappy when the referee did not award a penalty after striker Diogo Jota was apparently fouled in the area. The 54-year-old manager does not believe Jota purposely went down looking to win a foul.
The Liverpool manager was baffled and questioned whether Paul Tierney has an issue with him or the club. Speaking to Sky Sports (via the Evening Standard), Jurgen Klopp said:
“Mr Tierney told me he thinks Diogo stops on purpose because he wants the foul. First and foremost if you want to shoot you have to stop because he cannot run and shoot in the same moment. It will always be helpful if people have played football themselves in the past."
"I really have no idea what his [Tierney] problem is with me. Honestly, I have no idea. You just need an objective ref who sees the situations and trust them. He told me that he thinks he [Jota] stops on purpose. That’s incredible. He had the best spot on the pitch, he was eight yards away and doesn’t give it. We have to ask him, what’s his problem.”
Jurgen Klopp was also unimpressed when Harry Kane wasn't sent off following a heavy tackle on Andy Robertson. However, the Liverpool manager agreed the Scotsman challenge warranted a red card. Klopp added:
“We can give Robbo a red card, it's not the smartest challenge of his life, that's how it is. But that's [Kane on Robertson] definitely a red card, no doubt about that."
Jurgen Klopp was seen confronting referee Paul Tierney after the full-time whistle. The Liverpool manager was quoted as saying the following to the 40-year-old referee:
"I have no problems with any referees. Only you."
Liverpool were held to a 2-2 draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Harry Kane opened the scoring for Spurs before goals from Diogo Jota and Andy Robertson handed Liverpool the lead. However, Heung-min Son equalized five minutes later in an end-to-end game.
🗣 "I have no problems with any referees. Only you." 😡
Audio from Jurgen Klopp's confrontation with referee Paul Tierney after the game https://t.co/jkcx4slwRk
Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool could have had a different result
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes the result of the game could have been different if not for the referring decisions. Speaking after the 2-2 draw against Tottenham, Klopp said:
"The result is fine. It would have been different, I think, with different decisions from the referee. We had to change a lot, obviously it is difficult to deal with different challenges like this."
Following their draw, Liverpool have lost valuable ground to league leaders Manchester City. The Reds are now three points behind Pep Guardiola's side following the Cityzens' 4-0 win over Newcastle United earlier yesterday.
📺 Jurgen Klopp on the result:
“The result is fine. It would have been different, I think, with different decisions from the referee." 🔴 https://t.co/3rqon7ZL30