Jurgen Klopp explains why touchline ban can be 'super helpful'

Forum 11 months ago

Jurgen Klopp explains why touchline ban can be 'super helpful'

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted he is looking forward to watching his side take on Aston Villa from the stands on Saturday as it gives him a better view of the action.

Klopp was handed a two-game touchline ban, the second of which is suspended until the end of the 2023/24 season, for his comments about referee Paul Tierney, who he accused of bias after April's 4-3 victory over Tottenham.

It means Klopp will be stuck in the stands for Liverpool's final home game of the campaign against Aston Villa on Saturday, but the boss insisted he is only thinking about the positives of his punishment.

"From a watching point of view it is [a] much better position to see the game, it was with the Southampton game and it was super-helpful to see the game from there," Klopp told his pre-game press conference.

"Nobody will shout like me at them if they don’t track back but I will tell the boys if they don’t want me to do that in the future they just have to do that now without me shouting.

"I am really in contact with Vitor [Matos] so we can speak about everything, substitutions, and apart from that Pep [Lijnders], is an incredible coach and he will be out there.

"I’m not sure how many per cent of the things I shout are because the boys, Pete [Krawietz] and Pep, saw it on the iPad and said ‘we have to sort this, we have to sort that’. They can do it directly because I am the only one who cannot watch it back during a game – now I can do that from the stands."

Klopp went on to admit some of his colleagues feared he would be handed a harsher punishment and also questioned where his £75,000 fine was actually going.

"I expected a punishment with all the things we know and could hear," Klopp said. "I would like to know, as always, where the money goes. If it's for a good cause then I'm more than happy to pay it; if not, the FA keeps it then we have to talk again and I think it's a bit harsh.

"But apart from that, people around me were pretty negative. They thought it would be longer! It's one game, it's like the Southampton game, it will be the same process. I can watch the game from a better position and be in contact with my coaches."