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.



Baumann Says Concussion Shows Soccer Referees Need to Act Faster on Head Injuries

FILED - 26 April 2025, Baden-Württemberg, Sinsheim: Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann reacts to an injury during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1899 Hoffenheim and Borussia Dortmund at PreZero Arena. Photo: Uwe Anspach/dpa
FILED - 26 April 2025, Baden-Württemberg, Sinsheim: Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann reacts to an injury during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1899 Hoffenheim and Borussia Dortmund at PreZero Arena. Photo: Uwe Anspach/dpa
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Baumann Says Concussion Shows Soccer Referees Need to Act Faster on Head Injuries

FILED - 26 April 2025, Baden-Württemberg, Sinsheim: Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann reacts to an injury during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1899 Hoffenheim and Borussia Dortmund at PreZero Arena. Photo: Uwe Anspach/dpa
FILED - 26 April 2025, Baden-Württemberg, Sinsheim: Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann reacts to an injury during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1899 Hoffenheim and Borussia Dortmund at PreZero Arena. Photo: Uwe Anspach/dpa

German goalkeeper Oliver Baumann has been diagnosed with concussion after an incident which he says shows referees need to act swiftly to cut the risk of players suffering head injuries.

Baumann was playing for Hoffenheim on Saturday in the German Bundesliga when he collided with Borussia Dortmund midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka, who was sprinting toward Baumann's goal.

Chukwuemeka's knee struck Baumann in the head but the referee didn't stop the game, The Associated Press reported. Seconds later, Dortmund's Waldemar Anton scored the decisive goal for a 3-2 win as Baumann staggered about the penalty area in a daze.

“My diagnosis clearly shows that on the field it's all about the safety of the players,” Baumann said Wednesday. He argued players could be at risk of further injury in similar incidents if referees don't stop the game immediately.

“Therefore, in the interests of player health, there should be no disagreement about stopping the game immediately when there's a possible head injury, regardless of what the game situation looks like at that moment.”
Baumann, who is Hoffenheim's captain and a German national team player, had a “large, severely swollen laceration” to his head and was dazed after the incident, the club said, adding that concussion was diagnosed following tests at the hospital. He has been ruled out of Hoffenheim's game at Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday.