Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says he does not know if he should have been given a touchline ban for his behaviour during the victory over Manchester City earlier this month.
Klopp was red-carded late on in the 1-0 win at Anfield on October 16 after directing angry protests at referee Anthony Taylor and his assistant over no foul being given for a challenge on Mohamed Salah by Bernardo Silva.
On Thursday the Football Association announced the German, having accepted his behaviour was “improper”, had been handed a £30,000 fine over the incident by an independent panel, but he avoided a touchline ban.
The FA may choose to appeal that decision once it receives the written reasons from the panel.
Asked on Friday if he felt it was a fair punishment, Klopp told a press conference: “I know what I said, and I know that saying that, but from a further distance and with a different face, it would have been completely fine. I said ‘how can you not, how can you not?’
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“I think the most expensive face, I’m not sure in the world, but at least here. I think it’s a lot of money but I heard it will be invested for something good, and that’s fine.
“Should I have got a ban? I don’t know. I never was in the situation, I never had a red card, I didn’t ever have a yellow card as far as I know.
“I’m the wrong person that you should ask. I have no idea about what the usual things are. I had a touchline ban years ago in the Champions League with (Borussia) Dortmund, very similar situation, but obviously the Champions League is slightly different.
“I’m not happy or relieved or whatever. It’s just I was waiting for the punishment, take it, and then go from there.”
Klopp was speaking ahead of Saturday’s Premier League home clash with Leeds, for which he confirmed Thiago Alcantara, having recovered from an ear infection, would be available.
Fellow midfielder Jordan Henderson came off with a knee injury in the 3-0 Champions League win at Ajax on Wednesday, and Klopp said of the skipper: “With Hendo we have to wait a little bit, it’s a knock, knee was a bit stiff yesterday, he had only treatment.
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“So we will see how he will be today. I expect him to be OK to be honest.”
The result against Ajax saw the Reds bouncing back four days after the shock 1-0 loss at strugglers Nottingham Forest in their last Premier League outing.
In Leeds, the Reds – currently eighth in the table – are facing another side in the relegation zone, and Jesse Marsch’s side are on a four-match losing streak.
But Klopp said: “I saw Leeds, the last three games, and I have to say there’s a massive difference between the results they got and the performances they put in.
“You watch games and you see actually they are in a good moment, they just don’t bring it over the line, and caused everybody massive problems. So that’s the Leeds I prepare for.”
Klopp also praised Darwin Nunez after the summer signing from Benfica scored his sixth Reds goal on Wednesday, and fourth of the month.
“It is a massive step,” Klopp said when asked about the 23-year-old Uruguay forward.
“The steps he’s making are really big, and that means automatically he settles in more and more. The potential is incredible, and it’s not only speed – the attitude is really good, he’s a real worker.”
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