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.



Saudi champions Al-Ittihad Name Portugal’s Conceicao as Coach

Sergio Conceicao. (AFP)
Sergio Conceicao. (AFP)
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Saudi champions Al-Ittihad Name Portugal’s Conceicao as Coach

Sergio Conceicao. (AFP)
Sergio Conceicao. (AFP)

Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad have appointed Portuguese coach Sergio Conceicao on a deal running until 2028, the club said on Wednesday, replacing Frenchman Laurent Blanc who departed last month.

The announcement was made in a video posted on X, featuring Conceicao saying: "I am Sergio Conceicao, I came to make history with Al-Ittihad."

Blanc’s exit came a day after Al-Ittihad's 2-0 defeat to Al-Nassr in late September, which saw the defending champions slip to third in the league standings.

Assistant coach Hassan Khalifa took charge on an interim basis, supported by U21 coach Ivan Carrasco.

Conceicao was dismissed by AC Milan on May 29 after a disappointing Serie A campaign that ended with the club in eighth place, missing out on European competition for the first time since 2019.

He had joined Milan in December and led the team to the Italian Super Cup title in his second match in charge.


Defender Huijsen Ruled Out of Spain Squad with Muscle Injury 

Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. (L) and Dean Huijsen participate in a training session of the team in Madrid, Spain, 03 October 2025. Real Madrid face Villarreal in a LaLiga soccer match on 04 October. (EPA)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. (L) and Dean Huijsen participate in a training session of the team in Madrid, Spain, 03 October 2025. Real Madrid face Villarreal in a LaLiga soccer match on 04 October. (EPA)
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Defender Huijsen Ruled Out of Spain Squad with Muscle Injury 

Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. (L) and Dean Huijsen participate in a training session of the team in Madrid, Spain, 03 October 2025. Real Madrid face Villarreal in a LaLiga soccer match on 04 October. (EPA)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. (L) and Dean Huijsen participate in a training session of the team in Madrid, Spain, 03 October 2025. Real Madrid face Villarreal in a LaLiga soccer match on 04 October. (EPA)

Spain defender Dean Huijsen has been ruled out of their upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Bulgaria due to a muscle injury, with Aymeric Laporte called up as his replacement, the Spanish FA (RFEF) said on Wednesday.

"Huijsen, 20, arrived at the national team's training camp on Monday evening but did not train on Tuesday after reporting symptoms of muscle fatigue," the RFEF said in a statement.

"Medical examinations conducted on Wednesday confirmed the muscle injury, of which Real Madrid has been informed, prompting his withdrawal from the squad. We wish him a swift recovery."

Spain are set to face Georgia in Elche on Saturday before hosting Bulgaria in Valladolid on Tuesday as they aim to secure their place in the 2026 World Cup.

The absence of youngster Huijsen, who has impressed at Real Madrid under coach Xabi Alonso following a 50 million pound close-season transfer from Bournemouth, is a setback for Spain manager Luis de la Fuente.

However, Athletic Bilbao defender Laporte, 31, brings vital experience as he was a key player in Spain's European Championship-winning squad last year.

Spain currently top Group E of European qualifying with six points from two matches, with Georgia and Türkiye trailing by three points.


Sabalenka Overcomes Early Scare to Advance at Wuhan Open

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, reacts after a point against Amanda Anisimova, of the United States, during the women's finals of the US Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, reacts after a point against Amanda Anisimova, of the United States, during the women's finals of the US Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
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Sabalenka Overcomes Early Scare to Advance at Wuhan Open

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, reacts after a point against Amanda Anisimova, of the United States, during the women's finals of the US Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, reacts after a point against Amanda Anisimova, of the United States, during the women's finals of the US Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka overcame an early scare to beat unseeded Rebecca Sramkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 at the Wuhan Open on Wednesday.

The defending champion has had an amazing run in Wuhan — her record is 18-0 while winning titles in 2018, 2019 and 2024.

The US Open champion Sabalenka broke her 68th-ranked opponent in the opening game of the final set and went on before converting her second match point to win in almost two hours.

“I knew that after that little break ... it will be not that easy to get back in my rhythm,” Sabalenka said in her on-court interview. “I′m really gland the in the second set I found my game and stepped in and I think I played really great.”

Sabalenka started her rally by breaking her 68th-ranked opponent in fourth game of the second set and jumped to a 4-1 lead. She saved four break points in the seventh game.

She faces next No. 16 seed Liudmila Samsonova who rallied to beat 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Sramkova broke Sabalenka twice in the opening set, The Associated Press reported.

Sabalenka, who took a Greek holiday after her second consecutive win at Flushing Meadows, withdrew from last week’s China Open, another WTA 1000-level event.

Jessica Pegula was twice broken while serving for the match in the third set but recovered to edge Hailey Baptiste in a tight tiebreaker and advance.

Sixth-seeded Pegula beat her fellow American 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (6) on her seventh match point to reach the third round.