Former Premier League referee and former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett believes that Jurgen Klopp “got off lightly” with his two-game ban, one of which is suspended, and £75,000 fine for his accusations against referee Paul Tierney following the 4-3 win over Tottenham last month. Hackett criticized the FA for having “lost control” and described Klopp’s ban as a “weak sanction” that fails to send out the message that questioning the integrity of the referee and confronting the fourth official is unacceptable. He argued that the punishment “nowhere meets the significance of his offence” and that “the members of the Regulatory Commission have demonstrated weakness.” Despite this, Klopp showed contrition during the investigation and received a more lenient punishment than many expected, which Liverpool fans are likely to accept given he will be back on the touchline at Southampton on May 28.
