Jurgen Klopp receives two-match touchline suspension for referee comments

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been handed a two-match touchline suspension by the Football Association (FA). As a result, Klopp will miss Liverpool’s final home game of the season against Aston Villa, and another match that is suspended until the end of the following season.

The suspension is a consequence of Klopp’s comments about referee Paul Tierney, in which he suggested that the official had a biased agenda against Liverpool following their 4-3 victory over Tottenham last month.

This means that Klopp will be absent from the farewell match for first team players Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Naby Keita, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who will bid farewell to Anfield as their contracts expire.

The upcoming match holds significant importance for Liverpool, as they are still in contention for a spot in the Champions League next season.

To secure their position, they must win their final two matches and rely on either Manchester United or Newcastle experiencing a setback.

The FA released a statement regarding Klopp’s suspension, stating, “Jurgen Klopp has been given a two-match touchline ban and fined £75,000 as a result of comments made in the media after Liverpool’s Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, April 30, 2023.

The initial match ban takes immediate effect, while the second ban is suspended until the conclusion of the 2023/24 season, provided that no further breaches of FA Rule E3 occur in the meantime.

Jurgen Klopp acknowledged that his post-match media remarks about the match referee constituted improper conduct, as they insinuated bias, questioned the referee’s integrity, were personally offensive, and brought the game into disrepute.”