Jürgen Klopp gets two-match ban for tirade against referee Paul Tierney

Jürgen Klopp has received a two-match touchline ban plus a £75,000 fine for comments he made about the referee Paul Tierney after Liverpool’s dramatic 4-3 victory over Tottenham last month. The Liverpool manager admitted a Football Association charge of improper conduct for questioning the referee’s integrity.

The first match of the ban is effective immediately, meaning Klopp will be in the stands for Liverpool’s final home game of the season, against Aston Villa on Saturday, while the second is suspended until the end of the 2023-24 season on condition he does not repeat the breach. Klopp must also cover the costs of the independent regulatory commission that heard the case on top of his £75,000 fine.

Klopp celebrated Diogo Jota’s injury-time winner by running up to the fourth official, John Brooks. The 55-year-old’s behaviour then did not give rise to the charge although his poor disciplinary record was taken into consideration for the sanction. Klopp – who has appeared before commissions three times in the past five years and was banned and warned about his behaviour as recently as November – has been told any further breaches will result in more disciplinary action.

The Liverpool manager accused Tierney of being biased against the club, and/or himself, in an immediate post-match interview with Sky Sports. He said: “We have our story, history with Mr Tierney. I really don’t know what this man has with us, I really don’t know … always will say there is nothing, and it’s not true. Cannot be. I have to say it cannot be. I don’t understand it. I am really not sure if it’s me because how he looks at me, I don’t understand it.”

The FA described Klopp’s comments as “highly improper and simply irresponsible” and “a