Manager Jose Mourinho was annoyed by the touchline behaviour of Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp in Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat and suggested he would have been punished for similar actions.
The Reds boss was exuberant during the fiercely fought contest decided by Roberto Firmino’s 90th-minute winner.
“If I behaved the same, I’ve no chance to stay there,” Mourinho told Amazon Prime. “I’m out one minute after.”
On the suggestion Klopp was animated, he said: “Come on, that’s animated?”
Mourinho also told BBC Radio 5 Live: “The referees let him behave the way he does. It’s not my problem. I feel sad for it because I cannot do it, but it’s just the way it is.”
The Portuguese boss spoke to the German after the final whistle. When asked what words were exchanged, Mourinho responded: “I told him [Klopp] the best team lost and he disagreed, but that’s his opinion.”
Klopp, reacting to Mourinho’s comments, told BBC Radio 5 Live: “It was not heated at all. He wasn’t happy because he told me the better team lost – and I thought he was joking. But he wasn’t. So that’s it.”
He added that Mourinho did not bring up the topic of his touchline behaviour.
🗣️ Jose on tonight’s defeat at Anfield.#THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/lfdgKueRMP
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 16, 2020
Mohamed Salah gave the home side the lead in front of 2,000 fans at Anfield and Son Heung-min equalised in the first half, before Firmino’s late winner.
Spurs’ Steven Bergwijn had two good chances to score with only keeper Alisson to beat, and Harry Kane saw his header on goal bounce over the bar.
“A point would have been quite a fair result, but we played to win and had the biggest chances to win it,” added Mourinho.
“The game was always under control. I feel it was a very undeserved result, but that’s football. At half-time we move a little bit the pieces, but overall the game was always under control and I am very pleased with the performance.”
He added that Liverpool didn’t look a team that were “[league] champions, European champions, world champions”.
‘High in quality and very competitive’ – pundits react
Former England striker Alan Shearer on Amazon Prime: “Jurgen does exactly the same on the touchline week in and week out.
“We know what he is like, he is very passionate about his team and he had a few young boys in that team tonight who he can be very proud of and he wanted to cheer on and push on. That is what he is doing and that is what he does.”
Former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy: “It was a thoroughly enjoyable game, high in quality and very competitive. Positives for both managers.”
Ex-Manchester City defender Micah Richards: “Second half was incredible. Everyone is used to Tottenham playing defensive football but they had a good go in the second half and showed if they need to they can play this way.”
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