Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is hoping that their recent matchup with Tottenham Hotspur earns a replay. Spurs beat their visiting opponents on Saturday 2-1 under extremely controversial circumstances.
Luis Diaz put the Reds ahead with a goal in the 34th minute of the match. Nevertheless, the assistant referee raised his flag, believing the Colombian attacker was offside. VAR intervened but assumed the initial decision on the pitch was a goal. Because of the assumption, officials failed to overturn the wrong decision.
Klopp: “Audio doesn’t change” wrong decision
Audio of the VAR communication on the disallowed goal was released on Tuesday. Klopp, however, was not interested in the bizarre audio or an apology from the Premier League. “The audio didn’t change it at all because I knew the outcome,” Klopp told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday. “We scored a goal and it didn’t count.”
“It’s really important that as big as football is, we deal with it in a proper way: all the people involved, especially VAR, did not do that on purpose. And we should not forget that. It was an obvious mistake and I think there are solutions.”
Klopp says Liverpool vs Tottenham replay is necessary, but unlikely
Klopp then asserted that a replay of the match would be the only solution to the problem. However, the German manager was also aware that the league most likely would not grant the replay. “Not as the manager of Liverpool, more as a football person, I think the only outcome should be a replay, but that probably won’t happen,” continued Klopp.
“The argument against that would be it opens the gates. Everybody will then ask for it. It is unprecedented. I’m used to wrong and difficult decisions, but something like this has never happened.”
The loss dropped Liverpool down to fourth in the English top-flight table, two points behind leaders Manchester City. Spurs, on the other hand, moved up to second in the standings. The Reds also finished the Spurs match with just nine players after Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota were both sent off. The duo will now be suspended for the tough trip to Brighton on Sunday, Oct. 8.
PHOTO: IMAGO / Propaganda Photo
