Jurgen Klopp has claimed that he may have avoided his FA charge had he pulled a different face when confronting the officials during Liverpool’s defeat of Manchester City earlier this month.
The German tactician was ordered to pay £30,000 after admitting to improper conduct during the 1-0 defeat of Pep Guardiola’s side at Anfield but avoided a touchline ban.
The 55-year-old admitted that he was unsure whether he deserved a ban but is now looking to move on from the situation.
“I know what I said, and I know that saying that, but from a further distance and with a different face, it would have been completely fine,” the German said (as quoted by the Independent). “I said ‘how can you not, how can you not?’
“I think the most expensive face, I’m not sure in the world, but at least here. I think it’s a lot of money but I heard it will be invested for something good, and that’s fine.
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“Should I have got a ban? I don’t know. I never was in the situation, I never had a red card, I didn’t ever have a yellow card as far as I know.
“I’m the wrong person that you should ask. I have no idea about what the usual things are. I had a touchline ban years ago in the Champions League with (Borussia) Dortmund, very similar situation, but obviously the Champions League is slightly different.
“I’m not happy or relieved or whatever. It’s just I was waiting for the punishment, take it, and then go from there.”
Klopp was left raging after a foul by Bernardo Silva on Mo Salah went unpunished and, after screaming in the linesman’s face, was shown a red card by referee Anthony Taylor and was removed from the dugout.
Simon Jordan and Ray Parlour were left bemused at the FA’s decision to not give the ex-Mainz manager a touchline ban and the FA Cup champions will now have their head coach in the dugout for the visit of Leeds to Anfield tomorrow.
The Liverpool boss will be hoping his side can put in another strong showing against Jesse Marsch’s side after the Reds’ impressive defeat of Ajax on Wednesday night.