Jurgen Klopp has called for Liverpool’s match against Tottenham to be replayed after the VAR failed to award Luis Diaz’s goal which was ruled out for offside.
Sky Sports News understands the Premier League’s stance remains unchanged – that a replay would not be considered.
Klopp said: “It’s really important that as big as football is and important as football is we deal with it in a proper way.
“All the people involved, the on-field referee, linesman, fourth official and especially in this case VAR, didn’t do that on purpose. It was an obvious mistake and I think there would have been solutions for it afterwards.
“Some people probably don’t want me to say, but not as the manager of Liverpool so much, more as a football person, the only outcome should be a replay. That’s how it is. It probably will not happen.”
Diaz was flagged offside after scoring but replays showed he was actually onside although Darren England, the VAR, mistakenly believed the on-field decision had been to award the goal, leading him to tell Simon Hooper, the referee, that the check was complete.
After England and the assistant VAR Dan Cook were alerted to their mistake by the replay operator when the goal wasn’t awarded, they repeatedly said they could not intervene as the game had restarted.
Klopp added: “The argument against [a replay] will probably be if we open that gate then everybody will ask for it. The situation is so unprecedented that I’m 56 years old and I’m absolutely used to wrong decisions, difficult decisions but something like that as far as I can remember never happened.
“That’s why I think a replay would be the right thing. If it happened again, a replay would be the right thing to do or the referee has the opportunity to bring both coaches together and say, ‘Sorry we made a mistake but we can solve it. Let Liverpool score a goal and we can start from there.’
“I’m not angry with anybody, not at all. We should not go for them. They made a mistake and they felt horrible that night, I’m 100 per cent sure. That’s enough for me, nobody needs further punishment.”
Asked whether the club had asked – or would ask – the Premier League for a replay formally, Klopp added: “At this stage, we are still going through the information we have.”
Liverpool are understood to still be considering their options.
Were they to make a formal request to the Premier League for a replay, there is a stipulation in the league’s rulebook that seemingly opens up the possibility of it being sanctioned.
Rule L.18. states: “The Board shall have power to order that a League Match be replayed provided that a recommendation to that effect has been made by a Commission in exercise of its powers under Rule W.51.”
For the above, Liverpool would need to first lodge an official complaint with the Premier League. A commission would then be assembled to assess the case and make a decision.
SkySports
