Jurgen Klopp questions ref Paul Tierney again: “What he said to me is not OK”

There is a long history with referee Paul Tierney and Jurgen Klopp was displeased, to say the least, about the words he heard when shown a yellow card at Anfield.

Tierney and Liverpool have had plenty of drama-filled matches in recent history, with the 4-3 win over Tottenham the latest to be added to the list.

It was only last season when Klopp said he had “no idea what his problem is with me” after the draw at Tottenham, which saw Tierney show Andy Robertson a red card, Harry Kane avoid one and Diogo Jota denied a penalty.

This time, there were plenty of questionable and bemusing decisions from the official, including the foul given against Mohamed Salah when it was he who was being impeded.

“How they can give a foul on Mohamed Salah [before Spurs’ third goal]. We have our history with [Paul] Tierney, I really don’t know what this man has against us, I really don’t know,” Klopp told Sky Sports on Sunday.

“He will always say ‘it’s nothing’, it’s not true. It cannot be. I don’t understand it. He has said there are no problems, but that cannot be true.

“How he looks at me, I don’t understand it. I have no problem with any people and not with him as well.”

It all boiled over this time after Klopp ran up the touchline to celebrate Jota’s match-winning goal, pulling his hamstring before getting in the face of the fourth official and being shown a yellow card for his actions.

Klopp was quick to concede that his “celebration towards the fourth official was unnecessary,” and insisted that he “didn’t say any bad words.”

But he did not receive the same treatment from Tierney.

“What [Tierney] said to me then when he gave me the yellow card is not OK,” Klopp said. As for what those words were, the manager insisted it was “not possible” to reveal.

This is a story that is bound to rumble on, with Klopp clearly unable to put a finger on why Tierney handles situations with him as he does, with clarification never forthcoming.

“He was the ref at Tottenham when Harry Kane didn’t get a red card and it was like ‘ugh’,” Klopp said to give context. “Kane, I love this player and I don’t want him to get a red card but it was a red card in that game.

“Nobody asked him about it because in England you don’t have to clarify these situations, it’s really tricky and difficult to understand.”