LONDON — Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been given a two-match touchline ban after questioning the integrity of referee Paul Tierney following the Reds’ win over Tottenham Hotspur in April.
Klopp landed himself in trouble with the authorities after blasting Tierney following the explosive end to Liverpool’s 4-3 win at Anfield.
The German celebrated Diogo Jota’s stoppage-time winner, which came after Liverpool had blown a three-goal lead, by charging down the touchline to celebrate wildly in front of fourth official John Brooks.
Klopp was booked but later claimed what Tierney said to him was “not OK”, claiming he did not know what the official “has against us”.
The Football Association — which also fined Klopp £75,000 ($93,000, 86,000 euros) — said the first game of the ban would be served immediately, with Liverpool facing Aston Villa on Saturday, while the second would be suspended pending the manager’s future conduct.
An FA statement added Klopp had admitted his comments regarding Tierney in post-match media interviews “constitute improper conduct as they imply bias, question the integrity of the referee, are personal, offensive, and bring the game into disrepute”.
Klopp told reporters after the game: “How they can give a foul on Mohamed Salah (just before Spurs’ third goal)? We have our history with Tierney. I really don’t know what he has against us.
“He has said there is no problem but that cannot be true. How he looks at me, I don’t understand it. My celebration was unnecessary, which is fair, but what he said to me when he gave me the yellow card is not OK,” Klopp added according to AFP.
Newcastle beats Brighton
Newcastle is one win away from a return to the Champions League.
The Saudi-controlled club beat Brighton 4-1 to strengthen its hold on third place in the English Premier League, AP reported.
Three more points will guarantee Newcastle a top-four finish and an automatic spot in the Champions League, a competition the club last played in 20 years ago. The team’s remaining games are at home to next-to-last Leicester and away to Chelsea.
Brighton striker Deniz Undav had an eventful game at St. James’ Park, glancing Kieran Trippier’s inswinging corner into his own net to give Newcastle the lead in the 23rd minute.
Trippier had a key role in the second goal, too, as he curled in a free kick that was nodded in by tall left back Dan Burn in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time.
Undav made amends for his own-goal — Brighton’s league-high sixth of the season — by running onto Billy Gilmour’s defense-splitting pass and converting a finish to reduce the deficit in the 51st.
Callum Wilson ensured there was no way back with a goal on the breakaway in the 89th and he set up Bruno Guimaraes for a fourth two minutes later.
The loss for sixth-place Brighton all but ended its top-four hopes, leaving Roberto De Zerbi’s team to focus on finishing in fifth or sixth place and getting into the Europa League.
Newcastle’s players might have already done enough to secure a place in the Champions League qualification places. Liverpool is four points back in fifth and the only team that can stop them, but likely needs to beat Aston Villa and Southampton in its two remaining games just to stand a chance.
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