Jurgen Klopp submitted a letter to the FA explaining his actions during Liverpool's 4-3 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
The German has been handed a two-match touchline ban and £75,000 fine for his media comments following the last-minute win, having seemingly implied that referee Paul Tierney was biased against his side. Meanwhile, he had been booked by the official following Diogo Jota's winner after celebrating in the face of fourth official John Brooks.
With Klopp admitting improper conduct after being charged by the FA, an independent Regulatory Commission imposed these sanctions following a hearing. And in their written reasons, they included the Liverpool manager's letter, as part of his defence, in full to the FA explaining his in-game actions and apologising for his comments about Tierney.
READ MORE: FA release what referee Paul Tierney said to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp following touchline ban
READ MORE: Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp hit with suspension following Tottenham outburst
Klopp's submitted letter read: "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."
Klopp is now set to be absent from the sidelines for Liverpool’s final home clash of the season with Aston Villa on Saturday as he serves his touchline ban. The German previously was absent from the sidelines for the Reds’ 3-1 victory over Southampton back in November after serving a previous touchline ban for his conduct during his side’s 1-0 victory over Man City.
READ NEXT
Big signings, wage bill change and youth promotion - how Liverpool plan to replace four players
Sadio Mane has just proved Jurgen Klopp was right about Philippe Coutinho and Liverpool
'Didn’t see him play like I want' - Philippe Coutinho ruled out of Liverpool reunion by Unai Emery
Liverpool plan pre-season training camp in Germany with more friendlies lined up
