Klopp says referee Tierney has grudge against Liverpool

The game between Liverpool and Tottenham on Sunday was full of drama and not just on the field - but let’s start there. Tottenham came back from three goals down, the last of which was scored by Richarlison in stoppage time, and it seemed to have won the game for Spurs. But just a minute and a half later, Dioga Jota scored the game-winner for Liverpool, sending them to a 4-3 victory. It was an emotional and exciting game for Liverpool and manager Jurgen Klopp had a tough time controlling himself in the celebration.

Klopp vs Tierney - the history

The first goal that led Spurs to tie the game with Liverpool was preceded by and the result of a a foul that referee Paul Tierney gave to Mohamed Salah, which Klopp believed to be completely unwarranted. So when Jota scored the late goal, Klopp celebrated in the face of one of the officials, which caused him to possibly pull a hamstring and receive a yellow card from Tierney. Though Klopp admitted he shouldn’t have reacted the way he did, he says that Tierney has a grudge against him and against Liverpool.

“How they can give a foul on Mohamed Salah? 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. How he looks at me, I don’t understand it,” said Klopp. “My celebration was unnecessary, which is fair, but what he said to me when he gave me the yellow card is not okay.”

Klopp did not elaborate on what it was that Tierney said to him exactly, but after fully reviewing the audio, the refereeing body PGMOL said they see no reason to discipline Tierney for it. They said Tierney “acted in a professional manner throughout, including when issuing the caution to the Liverpool manager.” The Football Association will investigate Klopp’s accusations of Tierney.

This feud between the two is nothing new. Klopp told Tierney back in December 2021 that he had no problems with any other official - just him. In his post match interview, Klopp brought up that very game, reminding the journalists of the history between the two.

“Paul Tierney gave us, in a game in a season where it would have been quite important, he didn’t give Harry Kane a red card,” said Klopp. “That day, he didn’t get a red card, but [Andy] Robertson got a red card. This game we drew 2-2, you might remember it.”

At that time, Klopp said Tierney had no objectivity and that he had “no idea what his problem is with me”. This time, he told the press that he’d probably already said too much.

“I cannot help you now more with the story you write tomorrow,” he said. “I said what I said, probably too much, and you’ll write what you want to write.”