Klopp Says Referee Tierney Has Something ‘Against’ Liverpool

Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 30, 2023 Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 30, 2023 Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
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Klopp Says Referee Tierney Has Something ‘Against’ Liverpool

Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 30, 2023 Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 30, 2023 Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp celebrates after the match. (Reuters)

Juergen Klopp accused referee Paul Tierney of having something "against" Liverpool after their thrilling 4-3 Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Liverpool led 3-0 after 15 minutes but were pegged back to 3-3 when Richarlison headed past Alisson in stoppage time, with Klopp protesting a free-kick awarded to Tottenham in the build-up to the equalizer.

Diogo Jota then scored Liverpool's winner a minute later and Klopp confronted the fourth official before racing down the touchline to celebrate - for which he was shown a yellow card by Tierney.

Klopp has criticized Tierney in the past, saying he should have shown Spurs striker Harry Kane a red card for a dangerous tackle in a meeting between the sides in 2021, and on Sunday the German manager said Liverpool have "history" with the referee.

"I really don't know what he has against us," Klopp told Sky Sports. "He has said there is no problems 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 did not provide further details on the incident.

Referee's body PGMOL said they were aware of Klopp's comments, adding: "Match officials in the Premier League are recorded in all games via a communications system.

"Having fully reviewed the audio of referee Paul Tierney from today's fixture, we can confirm he acted in a professional manner throughout, including when issuing the caution to the Liverpool manager so, therefore, we strongly refute any suggestion that Tierney's actions were improper."

Klopp has been punished for comments about referees in the past. He was fined 45,000 pounds ($56,502) by the FA in 2019 for remarks about Kevin Friend.



Marc Marquez Wins Italian Grand Prix to Delight Ducati Fans on Home Soil

MotoGP - Italian Grand Prix - Mugello Circuit, Scarperia e San Piero, Italy - June 22, 2025 BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP's Alex Marquez, Ducati Lenovo Team's Marc Marquez and Ducati Lenovo Team's Francesco Bagnaia in action during the race REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini
MotoGP - Italian Grand Prix - Mugello Circuit, Scarperia e San Piero, Italy - June 22, 2025 BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP's Alex Marquez, Ducati Lenovo Team's Marc Marquez and Ducati Lenovo Team's Francesco Bagnaia in action during the race REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini
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Marc Marquez Wins Italian Grand Prix to Delight Ducati Fans on Home Soil

MotoGP - Italian Grand Prix - Mugello Circuit, Scarperia e San Piero, Italy - June 22, 2025 BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP's Alex Marquez, Ducati Lenovo Team's Marc Marquez and Ducati Lenovo Team's Francesco Bagnaia in action during the race REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini
MotoGP - Italian Grand Prix - Mugello Circuit, Scarperia e San Piero, Italy - June 22, 2025 BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP's Alex Marquez, Ducati Lenovo Team's Marc Marquez and Ducati Lenovo Team's Francesco Bagnaia in action during the race REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini

Ducati's Marc Marquez won the Italian Grand Prix after a dogfight for podium places at the Mugello Circuit on Sunday, taking the chequered flag ahead of his brother Alex to maintain his iron grip on the riders' championship.

Gresini Racing's Alex briefly led the race early on before Marc took control, while Fabio Di Giannantonio of VR46 Racing claimed third place after snatching the final podium spot from his Italian compatriot Francesco Bagnaia, Reuters reported.

Home favourite Bagnaia also led the race in the initial stages but the Italian, who had won the last three races at Mugello, was overshadowed by the Marquez brothers and could only finish fourth in front of his home fans.

Marc's victory was also the 93rd win of his career across all classes, matching his motorcycle number, and the Spaniard celebrated by planting a Ducati flag in front of the home fans who once saw him as a rival when he was with Honda.

"Amazing feeling... three Ducatis on the podium, to win here (at Mugello) in the red," said Marc, who now leads Alex by 40 points while Bagnaia is 110 points back in third.

"I already understood this morning that was super special for them, even for me, because I feel part of them. Super happy.

"We managed the race... I was calm and then when the tyres dropped a bit, I started to give everything. Happy to take the 37 points in this amazing weekend."

Fresh from claiming his historic 100th career pole with a blistering lap record and Saturday's unlikely sprint victory , Marc found himself locked in a fraternal battle with Alex -- a running theme this season.

The opening laps unfolded as a masterclass in close-quarter racing between the two factory Ducati machines -- their special Italian Renaissance livery flashing through Mugello's sweeping turns -- while Alex stayed on their tail.

HIGH-SPEED DRAMA

The crowd erupted when Bagnaia briefly snatched the lead from Marc after turn one but what followed was high-speed drama as they traded positions, occasionally making heart-stopping contact with each other.

Disaster nearly struck when Bagnaia, pushing his bike to the limit, touched Marc's rear tyre as he was forced to brake hard and surrender his position to Alex.

Fans in the grandstand witnessed a spectacular moment when all three riders thundered into turn one abreast, a three-wide gamble that saw Alex briefly seize control, drop to third on the brakes and then reclaim the lead moments later on the exit.

But Marc eventually broke free, leaving brother Alex to doggedly defend second position against a relentless Bagnaia.

However, the Italian did not have the late-race pace to catch up and he was soon forced to defend the final podium place, with Di Giannantonio looking to upstage his compatriot.

With two laps to go, Di Giannantonio made his move on turn seven as he squeezed past the twice champion and raced away to claim his first podium finish at Mugello.

"I knew that I had to risk a lot to take him but at the end, the last lap, I said, 'Okay, let's go for it,' and we've done it," Di Giannantonio said.

"My first podium in MotoGP Mugello, in front of this fantastic group of fans."