Referees body refutes Jurgen Klopp claims that Paul Tierney has anti-Liverpool agenda

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited has hit back at Jürgen Klopp’s claims that referee Paul Tierney acted improperly during Liverpool’s 4-3 win against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Klopp, who pulled a hamstring celebrating Diogo Jota’s last-gasp winner, risked Football Association action over accusing Tierney of having an agenda against Liverpool when he claimed the referee made an unacceptable comment while issuing a yellow card for celebrating in the face of the fourth official. Spurs manager Ryan Mason was also upset with the official for failing to send off Jota for a high boot on Oliver Skipp.

A statement from the referees’ body, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, said: “PGMOL is aware of the comments made by Jürgen Klopp after his side’s fixture with Tottenham Hotspur.

“Match officials in the Premier League are recorded in all games via a communications system and having fully reviewed the audio of referee Paul Tierney from today’s fixture, we can confirm he acted in a professional manner throughout including when issuing the caution to the Liverpool manager so, therefore, we strongly refute any suggestion that Tierney’s actions were improper.”

The FA could look at Klopp’s comments questioning what Tierney “has against us”. The Lancashire referee was also in Klopp’s sights last season for failing to send off Harry Kane in a match where Andrew Robertson was dismissed.

Keith Hackett, former head of referees, wrote in his column for the Telegraph Sport that Klopp is a serial offender and should face action.

“We have our history with Tierney, I really don’t know what he has against us, he has said there is no problems but that cannot be true,” said Klopp. “How he looks at me, I don’t understand it. In England nobody has to clarify these situations, it’s really tricky and hard to understand. My celebration was unnecessary, which is fair but what he said to me when he gave me the yellow card is not ok.

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“The problem is I have to mention, Paul Tierney in a season which is important didn’t give Harry Kane a red card – and I love Harry Kane – and gave Robbo a red card. It is not the first time, there are so many things.

“We are role models but first and foremost human beings. I didn’t say anything to the fourth official but turned around to him to celebrate, I got a yellow card, I think he thought I should have got a different punishment.”

Klopp was angered by Mohamed Salah not being awarded a foul moments before Spurs were awarded a free-kick for their equaliser through Richarlison. Jota scored 99 seconds later but Mason insisted he should not have been on the pitch as his challenge on Skipp warranted a red card.

“I would like an explanation and a reason why it wasn’t,” said Mason. “I can understand referees and officials on the pitch missing it even though my feeling was an instant red card because when your foot is studs showing and you’re five and a half feet off the ground and make contact with a player’s head and draw blood, and there is a gash, I think it ticks all the boxes.

“Probably more so with an experienced referee in the Var room, you want him to help the official on the pitch at that moment. Listen, it’s decided the game because that player on the pitch shouldn’t have been on there at the end decided the game. I’m pretty sure most football people’s opinions will probably feel the same.”

Klopp’s response to Mason was that “I really think Ryan has other things to worry about”. The Spurs interim manager will have to look at why his team conceded early goals again, with three goals coming in a quarter of an hour.

Kane led the fightback with a goal and he looked devastated at the defeat, saying he would be committed to “every place I am” when asked about whether he was committed to getting Spurs back towards the Champions League places. “I live in the moment and to give 110 per cent every day and every place I am,” he said.

“We have conceded virtually in the first minute of the last three matches. It is up to us to go out and, in these moments you cannot do what we did at the end. A point, you take that into the final four games but the feeling is gut-wrenching to end in defeat and it is hard to take.

“The table doesn’t lie, where we are doesn’t lie. We have fantastic players and fantastic moments but overall as a team we are not playing well enough collectively. We need to find a way to start games where we are not under the cosh straight away. We deserve where we are, we have four games and this is going to be hard to take but we have to look at it back.”

Klopp says his hamstring injury while celebrating will take days to recover from. “So fair punishment for behaving not the right away,” he said. “That’s it. I will have pain for a few days, Mr Tierney not. I will be ready to do what I always do and the celebrations if we have something to celebrate will be much calmer.”