Juergen Klopp took on the role of the justice of the peace when he intervened to calm down Roberto de Zerbi, the manager of Brighton & Hove Albion, following a heated argument with referees on the sidelines of a 2-2 Premier League tie.
At the Amex Stadium, in the 69th minute, when Brighton was refused a penalty after Kaoru Mitoma’s effort touched the arm of Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk, referee Anthony Taylor sent De Zerbi a yellow card for his protest.
After receiving a booking, the Italian manager kept objecting, so Klopp got involved and tried to calm him down.
The 56-year-old Klopp, who has had multiple run-ins with officials, told reporters that he “used my age at the moment when he got a bit outraged and tried to calm him down.”
“I just realized that there is a time when there is no turning back if I am in a situation like this.
“I believe he was on the verge of doing it when I attempted to calm him down. You may ask him, but I think he may have told me something about the punishment, even though I am unsure if he required it. I believe he desired a punishment.
When asked about the incident, De Zerbi told the media: “I love Klopp and he can do what he wants, because I have big respect for him and I consider him as one of the best coaches in the world,” De Zerbi said.
“I appreciate how he acts, and I almost always concur when he says something. I believe there was a clear consequence in the case. I expressed to the referee what I believed positively.
