Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp ‘regrets’ making headlines with referee Paul Tierney criticism, charged by FA

Klopp faced the media on Tuesday ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Fulham and gave his account of how events unfolded.

“We won a football game 4-3 in a spectacular manner and the only headlines were about me and I really regret that, it’s not necessary and it is not how it should be,” Klopp said.

“I have no clue what is happening now. We didn’t hear yet from the FA, the refs or anyone else.”

He added: “The other things I said about Paul Tierney refereeing our games, I am sure he does not do it intentionally, but we have a history, and I cannot deny that.

“I am not a resentful person, not at all, it is a waste of time. I have had to get over so many things in my life, and I get over them.

“But obviously all these things that have happened to us in the past in decisive games, they happened, not intentionally, but they happened and that is the feeling, nothing else, and that is what I said and I know the refs were obviously really angry about what I said.

“I heard I was lying – I’ve done a lot of things, but I was not lying, I should not have said a couple of things, but lying was not involved.”

After Klopp’s press conference it was confirmed by the FA that the Liverpool manager has been charged with ‘improper conduct’ and has until Friday to respond.

Klopp had said that his actions were likely to land him a sanction.

“With all the things I maybe expect a punishment.

“Refs think I questioned their integrity, which if I am sitting here now calm, I don’t do. We have to wait to see what they come back with.”

Klopp also explained the sequence of events that led to the confrontation at the end of the game, pointing to a foul Tierney gave against Mohamed Salah in the lead-up to Spurs’ 93rd-minute equaliser.

Jota then won the game for Liverpool a minute later in an eventful climax to the Anfield clash.

“That is why I celebrated like I celebrated, there was the situation with the foul on Mo, no foul, but in my view a foul, free-kick, then another free-kick, then the goal,” Klopp said.

“Then a minute later we scored and then you should just be happy that you scored a goal, but I was just angry.

“I did not say anything wrong, I was shouting: ‘Without you, without you’, which does not even make any sense.

“I did not want to get close to the fourth official, then Paul Tierney came over to me and I did not expect at all a red card to be honest, I did not feel that was right, I expected the yellow card and he said to me, ‘For me it is a red card, but because of him, it is yellow’, and he shows me a yellow and smiles in my face, that is it.

“Red card for what? So I just stood there and then left. I opened the box, not intentionally, and then I stopped talking”.

Liverpool’s win sent them above Spurs into fifth place in the Premier League table, seven points behind Manchester United, who also have a game in hand.