Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that does not believe that Paul Tierney has an agenda against his side after the controversy surrounding Sunday's 4-3 victory over Tottenham.
“The whole situation shouldn’t have happened at all. It was out of emotion, it was out of anger in that moment and that's never a good leader for the things you do.
That’s why I celebrated the way I celebrated. There was a situation with the foul on Mo: no foul but a foul in my view. Then there was a free-kick, another free-kick and then the (equalising) goal and then a minute later we score.
That is usually a moment where you should usually just be happy but unfortunately I was still kind of angry and that led to the way I celebrated. I didn't say anything wrong, I was shouting 'Without you. Without you'.
It didn't make a lot of sense but that was all. I couldn't get really close to the fourth official and I didn't want to get close to him because then I felt my muscle.
Then we scored and Paul Tierney came over to me and I didn't expect at all a red card. I know I had a red card not too long ago but I didn't expect for a second a red card because I didn't feel it was right.
I expected a yellow card in that moment and he (Tierney) said to me 'For me it's a red card' but because of him – that's what I understood because it was loud in the stadium – but because of him it's yellow.
Showed me a yellow and smiled to my face. That's it. The final whistle we go inside and I try to calm down and it didn't work out properly and I said what I said.
The things which were made of what Paul Tierney said to me, I didn't say. I said 'What he said to me was not OK' and I thought it was not OK because it was not a red card in my view.
I understand I opened the box. It was not intentional but I opened it. Your colleague stepped into it and wanted me to carry on and said words like 'inappropriate' or whatever and I didn't respond to that.
Maybe in that moment I should have said 'He said to me he thought it was a red card and I didn't think it was a red card' and stopped talking there.
That is one of the things that happened. The rest was, the things I said were how I felt in that moment about Paul Tierney reffing our games.
I am very sure he is not doing it intentionally but we have a history and I cannot deny that.
I am not a resentful person – not at all, I think it is a waste of time, I have to get over so many things in my life – but these kind of things which happened in the past, in decisive games for us or not, happened.
Of course they didn't happen intentionally but they are still there and it's a feeling and nothing else. I know the refs were really angry about what I said and go now for it.
I heard I was lying. I did a lot of things that day but I didn't lie. I shouldn't have said a couple of things but lying was not one of them."
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Potential punishment
He added that he is yet to receive correspondence from the Football Association over any potential punishment for approaching the assistant referee in an aggressive manner and his post-match comments.
"I probably have to expect a punishment. The refs think I question integrity, in the moment I just described my feelings.
The red card I got against City was in the same spot, foul against the same player, Mo Salah.
I really regret the headlines I have created. I have no clue what happens now, we haven't heard anything.
If there is one good thing, I prefer that I am in this situation than any player. I can't see that having an influence on my team."
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Performance against Spurs
The Liverpool manager confirmed that he regrets that his actions in the final minutes and post-match have overshadowed a brilliant result for his team.
"We won a game 4-3 in a spectacular manner and the only headlines I created [were negative].
The main problem was that we were that good in the first part of the game. The way we played was exceptional at the beginning, how we controlled it, in the first 15-20 minutes there were no counters from them.
I would like to let the positives outweigh the negatives. Negatives were obvious too, but the good stuff I don't take for granted.
That is what we have to do again, that will not stop at the last matchday this season, it will have to continue next season."
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Fulham up next
The German was full of praise for Fulham, the Reds next opponents, and understands that it will be a tough game.
"Great season unbelievable football, what Marco is doing there. Super colleague, really smart guy.
Still performing but the results are not there anymore as much, the players they brought in, super interesting, built a really really good side.
We are aware of how good they are if we let them be, we have to make sure they cannot be at their best."
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Injury update
Klopp also gave an update on the injury status of Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota ahead of the contest.
"Bobby is training, looks good but not ready for the game, but is doing more and more, waiting for him to join first-team train again, pretty much the same for Naby.
Diogo struggles, he got a knock in the back [against West Ham], bruised rib, could not train before the game, got another knock when he came on. So, didn't train since then, is a doubt, but I hope he can recover."
Luis Diaz scored on his first start since October after his long-term injury and the Reds manager confirmed that is happy with the Colombian's contributions since his return.
"Already when he came in other games, he was a nice watch.
We gave him enough time for everything to settle. We picked him for the first time in the starting eleven and he was top, cannot play 90 minutes that is clear but he was really strong."