There have been calls for Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to be banned after the former Borussia Dortmund boss was hit with an FA charge following his team’s last game

Liverpool boss Klopp considering apology to officials

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp should be banned for a number of games, according to critics Gabby Agbonlahor and Simon Jordan.

The German has been handed a charge by the Football Association after comments made about referee Paul Tierney. He is expected to face a significant ban after the confrontation with the official, who was in the middle for the Reds’ 4-3 victory over Tottenham on Sunday.

Agbonlahor, who has had verbal spats with Klopp in the past, believes the Liverpool boss’ status as a “repeat offender” warrants a five-game ban. Former Crystal Palace chairman Jordan has also come down hard on the manager, who was handed a one-game touchline ban in November after his actions during a victory over Manchester City.

“You are making Paul Tierney get all this hate online, and his reaction to the fourth official, why are you running up to him like the fourth official has done something wrong?” Agbonlahor said on talkSPORT. “Go and celebrate like you have before with your players. What was funny is that he got instant karma by pulling his hamstring, because he shouldn’t have done that.

“That will go down to grassroots level, with kids thinking it is fine to go and celebrate in front of a referee or fourth official or a linesman. It’s not a good example. For me, I would give him a five-game ban and if he does it again I’d double it and give him a 10-game ban.

“He’s not going to learn, he’s got previous and is a repeat offender. He needs to be punished.”

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Jurgen Klopp could be in for further punishment after his actions in Liverpool’s win against Tottenham

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When quizzed on what would be a suitable punishment for Klopp, Jordan made his own position clear. Also speaking on talkSPORT, he compared the differences in suspensions between players and managers.

“If a player is suspended for a game, he can’t go to his place of work, which is ostensibly a Saturday afternoon, affecting the outcome. Jurgen Klopp, or any manager that’s banned from a game, should be not allowed in the stadium.

“There’s also a case – difficult to enforce, but policeable if you want to – that they shouldn’t be allowed to go to the training ground for a week,” he added. He made it clear that he didn’t favour points deductions but suggested more could be done.

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have only a handful of Premier League games left this season

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“I think if you’re going to ban a manager for a game then you should ban them from being able to affect the outcome of the team for a period of time,” Jordan continued. “Whatever stage [of punishment] he’s at – because he’s not on first strike, is he – is you enforce it.

“I’m not looking at Jurgen Klopp for this, I’m looking at all managers… given the fact you’ve now been banned for your behaviour, for bringing the game out of disrepute and stepping across the line, you’re now taken out of commission – you can’t coach the players for a week, you can’t be on the training ground, you can’t go to the matches.

“Now, this is an extreme, but you even want to stop it or you don’t. If that doesn’t concentrate your mind, if that doesn’t work the next step would be to say let’s take some points away.”