- Klopp calls for replay after VAR error.
- Liverpool’s appeal over red card.
- Unprecedented issues in football match.
Jürgen Klopp has urged for Liverpool’s Premier League defeat at Tottenham to be replayed owing to the unprecedented errors behind Luis Díaz’s disallowed goal.
The Liverpool manager, who was widely lauded for his dignified response to Saturday’s debacle at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, insisted that a replay would be the most equitable solution to the biggest VAR crisis confronted by Professional Match Game Officials Ltd (PGMOL).
Liverpool cannot request a rematch from the Premier League, and Klopp acknowledges that his appeal is unlikely to succeed. Jonathan Bamber, general counsel and director of football administration for Liverpool, is investigating the club’s options.
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Klopp believes the game should have been halted and Díaz’s goal awarded as soon as the VAR, Darren England, realised the error. He stated, “All the people involved – on-field referee, linesman, fourth official, and especially in this case VAR – didn’t do it intentionally. That should not be forgotten. It was an apparent error, and I believe there would have been subsequent solutions.
“If not, I can say immediately, and possibly some people don’t want me to say it, not as the manager of Liverpool but much more as a football person, that I believe the only possible outcome should be a replay, and I’m not just saying that as a Liverpool manager. That is the case. It will presumably not occur. The argument against this would likely be that if you open that gate, everyone will request it.
I believe that the situation is so unprecedented that a rematch would be appropriate.
“What makes this contest unique is the fact that we conceded just two minutes after scoring a regular goal. If the other goal had tallied, we would have begun the game in the middle of the pitch rather than where it began. It would have been different otherwise. That is my opinion.”
Klopp’s request for a rematch will increase pressure on the PGMOL during its investigation into Saturday’s controversy and create a new issue for the Premier League. Klopp acknowledges that other clubs mistreated by VAR could request that other matches be replayed, but he stated that the decision to disallow Díaz’s goal was unprecedented.
“It is truly unprecedented for a member of the refereeing crew to award the goal and announce ‘goal’.” This is an extremely rare occurrence, yet neither the screen nor the scoresheet reflect it, and we continued with a free kick. Consequently, this makes it entirely distinct [from other VAR complaints]. What are the potential outcomes? I’m only interested in how we can make things better. This [a replay] will not occur the following week, absolutely not. I am certain it will take a very long time.
“We must simply discuss it in complete calmness. All emotions are exhausted, the game is over, so what are the actual outcomes? If this were to occur again in the future, I would recommend a replay or, much better than a replay, immediate resolution. Using only common sense, you no longer have this problem.
Perhaps it will occur again in ten years, and they will be able to say, “Yes, last time we had to play a replay, organise a replay, and now we can do it this way, what a fantastic solution!” That would be a significant improvement. We shall see.”
Klopp is particularly furious over Diogo Jota’s dismissal and Curtis Jones’ three-match suspension after Liverpool’s appeal was denied.
“The referee was summoned to the screen and saw a frozen image for the first three seconds,” he said of Jones’s challenge. “I would have promptly issued a red card for that photograph. Then he views the replay in slow motion, for which I would have issued a red card. But it’s not a red card.
“According to the FA panel, this is not a plain and obvious error, but I disagree. The official’s initial call is yellow. The clear and apparent error is then displaying a still image and in slow motion… In addition, Diogo Jota received two yellow cards for not harming another player. I would also state that this is unprecedented.”
