Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has reiterated he has no excuse for his sending off against Manchester City but says such emotionally charged reactions can happen during games of such magnitude.
And the Reds manager, who was charged with improper behaviour by the Football Association on Tuesday, claimed a post-match chat with the officials was calm and civil on Sunday evening.
Klopp was dismissed by Anthony Taylor late on during the 1-0 win against Pep Guardiola's side for an angry reaction aimed at the referee's assistant, Gary Beswick, after match-winner Mohamed Salah was not given a foul after being dragged off balance by Bernardo Silva near the corner flag.
The high-profile flare-up came on the same weekend that Merseyside Youth Football League cancelled all their fixtures in response to the abuse their officials have faced at times this season.
Klopp admitted immediately after the game that his reaction overstepped the mark but sought to offer some mitigation in his pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday's visit from West Ham.
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"Of course, I [have] changed completely, it was my first red card in England," Klopp said. "My first card. And, again, it was my fault, my fault, but it was not that it was a boring 0-0 and I stood there and went bonkers.
"Look, again, before I say more, there is no excuse, I don’t want an excuse, it happened, and it was obvious as everyone saw it. And that he gave me a red card is absolutely OK, really. Send me away, fine.
"But before the disallowed goal that City scored, I am not sure you can be in a better position to see it was a corner and [Ederson] made a brilliant save from Mo Salah, so that is how it starts, and it is always a bit here and there.
"The situation around the goals, you just whistle the first foul then there is no other foul after it. Erling Haaland tries to get the ball and Alisson is there and all these things happen and it's all in your mind.
"This is a corner [for us], but the next situation is a goal [for City]. And you think 'wow' and of course that is on the inside. I know about our role in public and how difficult it is to be a ref; I know all of that. I am a ref five times a week in training and you never get it right. I know exactly the situation.
"But in the end, we are all human beings, and you react how we can react. For 99 minutes in this case, it was pretty intense and always being the perfect version of yourself is actually not possible and in these moments more difficult.
"But what has to change is why would you whistle a game like this? Yes, more body contact allowed in England, that's fine, but you cannot do it like this, when I spoke about the disallowed goal I spoke to Pep (Guardiola) and he said of course it was a foul, but it was also a foul there, there and there. And he was right!
"That is why it was hectic because all of the time, everyone was on his toes calling for fouls. There is an entertainment part of football which I understand, but also player safety is a very important part as well in football. It's dangerous in these moments. The players adapted and they thought if they can do it then we can do it and all of a sudden everyone is sliding, which is dangerous."
On City's disallowed goal from Phil Foden, Klopp added: "The referee said before the game, especially in top games, the refs say 'we won't whistle for everything'. The message is we want to let the game flow. I understand that. But a foul is a foul and we cannot change that.
"Pulling, by the way, is a real foul, it has nothing to do with football, pulling always was a yellow card because when a player passes the other and you see a shirt stretch, it's lazy. It is a foul and there is no negative impact on the game. Let the game flow, come on.
"We have a completely open discussion but what we say stays in the room, but it was a calm talk after the press conference. We sat there and had a chat. I apologised to the assistant of course, in my mind it was not that long but when you saw the pictures, it looks like I was stood there five minutes, but I went there and it was no disrespectful I was just shouting 'how can you not give a foul' but with my face, it was a problem."
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