Jurgen Klopp calls for Tottenham vs Liverpool to be replayed

Callum Boyle

‘I think it would be the right thing.’

Jurgen Klopp says “it would be the right thing” to replay Liverpool’s controversial Premier League defeat against Tottenham.

On Saturday, Liverpool lost 2-1 at Tottenham in a game marred by controversy after Luis Diaz’s first-half strike was flagged off-side by the linesman.

Despite replays showing the Liverpool forward was onside, the video assistant referee (VAR) told referee Simon Hooper that the check was complete and no change should be made to the on-field decision.

Jurgen Klopp calls for Spurs vs Liverpool to be replayed after VAR controversy.

After the game, Liverpool released a statement in which they said “sporting integrity had been undermined” and that the club would “explore the range of options available, given the clear need for escalation and resolution.”

Then, on Tuesday evening, the PGMOL – the body responsible for officiating in English football – released the VAR audio of the decision-making process for Diaz’s wrongly disallowed goal and the conversation between the officials involved.

Speaking to the media for the first time since Saturday’s errors, Klopp felt that a replay was “the only outcome” despite accepting that it was a mistake in the aftermath of the defeat.

🚨 Klopp: “I think the only outcome for Tottenham-Liverpool game should be a replay”.

“It probably won't happen. I think it is so unprecedented it didn't happen before”. pic.twitter.com/bEICrcaaO9

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 4, 2023

“Something like this never happened, so that is why I think a replay is the right thing to do,” he said.

Klopp said: “The audio didn’t change it at all. It is an obvious mistake. There should be solutions for that. The outcome should be a replay. But it probably won’t happen.

“The argument against that would be it opens the gates. It is unprecedented. I’m used to wrong and difficult decisions, but something like this never happened.”

If the decision to replay the game was taken it would be the first time a game has had such a scenario in response to VAR.

Liverpool are in Europa League action on Thursday before returning to the Premier League, where they will travel to the south coast to face Brighton & Hove Albion.

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