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Ex-Prem ref claims Jurgen Klopp case 'closed' and makes demand to FA over Liverpool boss
Jurgen Klopp left himself open to criticism with his method of celebration for Liverpool's dramatic winner against Tottenham on Sunday.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp reviews the Spurs win
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has called on the FA to release the audio of an altercation between Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and match official Paul Tierney, who took charge of the Reds' thrilling win over Tottenham on Sunday.
In a back-and-forth encounter, Liverpool went 3-0 up inside a quarter of an hour against Spurs, who fought back to make it 3-3 with Richarlison's equaliser coming in the 93rd minute. Anfield therefore erupted when Diogo Jota bagged a dramatic winner even deeper into stoppage time.
Klopp immediately sprinted to celebrate in the face of fourth official John Brooks, having been left unhappy at a soft foul given against his team that led to Spurs' goal minutes prior. The Liverpool boss was subsequently shown a yellow card by Tierney who, according to Klopp, said something to him that was 'not ok'.
Having received his punishment straight after the event, Gallagher told Sky Sports that he felt the matter was 'closed'. "The yellow card was obviously for what Klopp did or said to the fourth official," he explained.
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"That was dealt with on the field by Paul Tierney. If they felt it needed to go further it would be a red card. I would suggest that it's closed but I have no extra information." When quizzed on whether the audio being released would benefit all parties, Gallagher continued: "I'm all for transparency. If the audio gets played, it can put it to bed."
Klopp is also being investigated by the FA after stating that Tierney 'has something against' his team. "How he looks at me, I don't understand it," claimed the Reds manager. "In England nobody has to clarify these situations, it's really tricky and hard to understand."
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Fans and pundits were quick to point out after the final whistle that Klopp's side may have even benefitted from the officiating on Sunday as Jota, who went on to score the winner, was broadly deemed fortunate to avoid being sent off for a high tackle on Oliver Skipp that left the midfielder with a nasty gash to the head.
Despite the incident being reviewed by VAR, Gallagher admits that the Liverpool forward may have been fortunate to stay on the pitch. "If it had been a red card, Jota couldn't complain," he continued.
"He's face-on, he puts his boot up. I know Skipp puts his head in, the argument is he invades Jota's space but should Jota have his foot that high? Most certainly not. If it was a Champions League game it would be a red card. What's happened is the referee has felt Skipp had gone into his space so Jota was reckless rather than dangerous."
Referees' body PGMOL released a statement 'strongly refuting' Klopp's claims against Tierney, insisting that the official 'acted in a professional manner' throughout the game, including when showing the 55-year-old a yellow card.