'I am sorry': Jurgen Klopp's letter to FA over Tierney row published

After the FA handed Jurgen Klopp a two-game ban for doubting the integrity of referee Paul Tierney, a letter by the Liverpool boss to the FA was published.

In the letter, Klopp apologises for his behaviour in the final minutes of the 4-3 win over Tottenham right after Diogo Jota's match-winning goal.

"I want to start this submission with the most important sentiment I must express; I am sorry. I am sorry for my reaction in that immediate moment when I ran towards the fourth official, Mr Brooks and I fully accepted a caution was justified.

"I accepted that then and I accept now that a yellow card was correct. Equally I am sorry for some of the tone and content of my post-match interview. Although it was not my intention I accept now it appears that I was questioning Mr Tierney's integrity. I take ownership of this.

"On reflection, the words I used were inappropriate. Both of these incidents were driven by emotion. I was overly emotional at some of the decisions made, which then led to frustration and a feeling of unfairness.

"I carried that emotion into the mandated and time sensitive post-match press commitments. I do ask that you look at the comments I made in the following context; we are, as Managers, contractually required to make ourselves available in a timely fashion. This doesn't readily allow for a more measured approach.

"Also, English is not my primary language and at times what I mean to say and how I say it can conflict. For the avoidance of doubt, I was trying to express how I felt whilst dealing with the frustration I was feeling around a number of decisions made during the game.

"It was about feelings and emotions. To be absolutely clear, I know that Mr. Tierney, along with all other officials, do their work without any pre-conceived bias or prejudice.

"Although not an excuse, I believe we have made up a high percentage of Mr Tierney's matches this season? Something in the region of 20% of the matches he has officiated have involved my team. I do not offer this as a defence, rather it is an observation and could be a reason for both the build-up of frustration governed by an inadvertent accumulation of incidents over an extended period.

"Hopefully you saw in my very next press conference (Tuesday 2nd May, 2023) I sought to clarify and correct any wrong conclusions drawn from the words I used in the interview on Sky Sports, which took place matter minutes after a tumultuous and highly dramatic game ended."

The FA acknowledged Klopp's letter and pointed out that it might've helped him to avoid more serious punishment as a serial offender.