Jurgen Klopp vs Paul Tierney: History between Liverpool manager and Premier League referee

Jurgen Klopp is no stranger to an eruption of rage during the white-hot heat of a football match.

After one particularly explosive exchange with a fourth official during a Champions League match against Napoli in 2013, Klopp described himself as "pathetic" and admitted: "I don't recognise myself sometimes on the touchline."

However, his fury towards Premier League referee Paul Tierney had not fizzled out after Liverpool's exhilarating 4-3 victory over Tottenham. Immediately after the match, Klopp claimed that the Wigan-born official has a vendetta against Liverpool.

"We have our history with Tierney, I really don't know what he has against us," Klopp raged.

Even two days later, after the Premier League's body of referees (PGMOL) stepped in to defend Tierney - and then stand him down - Klopp reiterated the "history" that exists between himself and Tierney.

Here's the backstory to the feud that has bubbled away for more than half a decade.

December 2017 - Handball confusion

The first Liverpool league game Tierney ever officiated during Klopp's tenure was a spiky 0-0 draw at home to West Bromwich Albion in December 2017. In the final ten minutes of normal time, Dominic Solanke bundled the ball into the net and wheeled away to celebrate what he believed to be a winning goal.

Initially, Tierney appeared to let the goal stand before consulting his assistant and signalling handball. "Must be a really good assistant,” Klopp sniped at the final whistle. "That's another moment where we had no luck, for sure, because if he doesn't see it or is not sure, or as sure as he obviously was, then it's a goal and that's it."

Not content with the perceived injustice of the handball decision (which was entirely correct) Klopp went up to Tierney at the final whistle to complain about the amount of stoppage time added. "I told the ref afterwards about three minutes in a game like this and he said: 'Yeah, it was right.' So I have nothing, I cannot say anything about that.”

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July 2020 - "Get over it"

Liverpool won the subsequent six Premier League matches which Tierney took charge off and - completely coincidentally - Klopp had little to say about the official. However, during a match Liverpool did win, it was Tierney's sharp tongue that stole the spotlight.

Surrounded by the empty Anfield stands during the Premier League's Project Restart in July 2020, Tierney's blunt dialogue with Klopp was clearly audible. After overlooking a glut of contentious decisions which enraged the Liverpool manager during a league meeting with Aston Villa, Tierney sidled up to Klopp to explain: "I missed it, Jurgen. I'm like the players, I'm going to make mistakes. I missed it, so get over it."

Klopp's acceptance was aided by goals from Sadio Mane and Curtis Jones in the final 20 minutes to earn Liverpool three more points in their title-winning campaign.

January 2021 - Whistle-happy Tierney

The most famous example of an inopportune parp of the referee's whistle was Clive Thomas' hasty blow seconds before Brazil's Zico scored against Sweden in the 1978 World Cup. However, Thomas "slept the sleep of the just" that night as he ended the match (exactly) after the allotted time had been played.

Tierney blew up for halftime six seconds before the minute of first-half stoppage time had elapsed during Liverpool's goalless draw with Manchester United at the start of 2021, just as Mane was bearing down on goal.

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson picked up his manager's grievance baton. "We weren't happy about that as you can imagine," he said post-match. "Strange, very strange."

December 2021 - "I have no problems with any referees. Only you."

By the end of 2021, Klopp boiled over with rage within the range of microphones. At the end of another hotly contested match between Tottenham and Liverpool (sound familiar?) which saw Andy Robertson receive his marching orders but Harry Kane remain on the pitch despite a tackle worthy of "a clear red card" (according to Klopp), Liverpool's manager confronted the officials.

"I have no problems with any referees, it’s only you," Klopp shrugged, before underlining the point while Tierney looked straight through him. "Honestly, I have no problems with any referees, only you."

At the full-time whistle of Liverpool's meeting with Tottenham on Sunday, Tierney simply shook his head as Klopp began to engage in conversation, walking past the manager who was left even more bemused by his nemesis.

January 2022 - Tierney removed from VAR duty

Tierney was scheduled to act as the video assistant referee for Liverpool's trip to Stamford Bridge two weeks after Klopp's tantrum at Tottenham but the powers that be at the Football Association quashed the possibility for any more controversy, sending Tierney to Elland Road to officiate Leeds United's 3-1 victory over Burnley on the same day in January 2022.

In the end, Klopp didn't even attend Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Chelsea after testing positive for COVID-19.

August 2022 - Tierney dishes out another red to the Reds

The next time Tierney was allowed to referee a Liverpool match was the first game of the 2022/23 season at Anfield. Just like Liverpool's previous outing with Tierney in the middle, the Reds ended the game with one point and ten players.

Klopp could have no argument with the red card Tierney showed to Darwin Nunez for brainlessly thrusting his skull towards Crystal Palace's Joachim Andersen but a pattern was beginning to emerge.

Across Liverpool's last 161 matches in domestic competition, they have been shown precisely two red cards - both were brandished by a certain Mr Tierney. Coincidence? Almost certainly, but try telling Klopp that.

April 2023 - "History" repeating itself

Given the surprise decision to hand out a yellow card to Diogo Jota for a head-high challenge on Oliver Skipp, Tottenham interim boss Ryan Mason perhaps had more reason for a grievance against Tierney.

However, Klopp was chiefly triggered by what he perceived to be a foul on Mohamed Salah by Ben Davies in the lead up to Tottenham's equaliser.

Jota duly nabbed the winner 99 seconds later, prompting Klopp to sprint across to fourth official John Brooks in celebration, pulling his hamstring while shouting in his face. After the contest, Klopp claimed that what Tierney said when showing him a yellow card was "not OK".

Yet, when he elaborated on the incident two days later, Klopp explained: "I expected a yellow card and he said to me ‘for me, it’s a red card, but because of [the fourth official, it’s a yellow]. He showed me a yellow card, smiled in my face, that’s it." Which doesn't sound entirely disgraceful.