Jurgen Klopp vs Paul Tierney Feud: 8 Flashpoints

Jurgen Klopp and referee Paul Tierney have had a long history of disagreements, with the latest incident occurring during Liverpool’s 4-3 win over Tottenham in April 2023. The Liverpool boss has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with Tierney’s officiating on a number of occasions, with their first clash coming in December 2017 when Liverpool were denied a late winner in their 0-0 draw with West Brom at Anfield. In July 2020, Tierney responded to a furious Klopp by telling the manager to “get over it” after he failed to award a free-kick for a foul on Gini Wijnaldum. Later that year, Tierney failed to award Liverpool a penalty for a foul on Sadio Mane in their goalless draw with Newcastle. In January 2021, Tierney blew the whistle for half-time prematurely during the goalless draw at Anfield between Liverpool and Man United, despite Sadio Mane being through on goal. Klopp responded to this by telling the referee “I have no problems with any referees, only you.” In March 2023, Tierney was the subject of plenty of criticism from fans on social media after another questionable showing at home to Wolves. April 2023 saw one of the most controversial refereeing moments in Premier League history, when linesman Constantine Hatzidakis elbowed Andy Robertson at the interval in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal. Tierney responded by booking the Scotland captain for his angry protests following the incident, with the linesman eventually avoiding punishment from the FA. Finally, Sunday’s visit of Tottenham saw Klopp question Tierney once again after he was met with comments while being awarded a yellow card late on in the game. With no shortage of drama between both men in recent years, it remains to be seen whether or not this feud will continue in the future.