The PGMOL have announced the officials set to take control of Liverpool’s clash with Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley and Jurgen Klopp may not be pleased at who has been selected to referee.
Jurgen Klopp might not be too happy at the prospect of Chris Kavanagh refereeing the Carabao Cup final after the pair’s previous run-ins.
The PGMOL have confirmed that he will be the man in the middle for the Reds’ clash with Chelsea at Wembley later this month. Elsewhere, John Brooks will be leading the VAR analysis.
Klopp might have reservations about Kavanagh given he has had a series of disagreements with the official during his time at Anfield. With the pair butting heads again only a couple of months ago.
The Liverpool boss thought his side were deserving of a penalty for a Martin Odegaard handball during a 1-1 draw with Arsenal – a decision chief of refs Howard Webb admitted wad wrong. Speaking about the incident after the game, Klopp said: “The penalty situation is a weird situation, I don’t know if the ref can see it, but you look at it and I’m not sure how you can say it’s not a penalty.”
The German continued his complaints in his post-match press conference. He added: “I didn’t see it in the game, I saw it after and I think we all agree it was handball. But I always wait until Mr Dermot (Gallagher) explains it the next day (in his role as a TV analyst) what’s really the case.
“He will find a way to explain to me why it was not handball. For me it’s a clear handball. I have no idea if it would have influenced the result.”
December’s disagreement is not the first time that Klopp has taken exception to one of Kavanagh’s decisions either. Klopp was left baffled by a decision to award Everton a penalty in the Toffees’ 2-0 win at Anfield in February 2021. Trent Alexander-Arnold collided with Dominic Calvert-Lewin to see Everton handed a spot-kick.
Opening up on his thoughts, he said: “I really think it is unfair to ask me because everybody asks me that question, so it means everybody thinks it was not a penalty. But that is not really important because the referee thought it was a penalty.
“So I wanted to talk to him after the first few interviews I had but he left already. I just wanted to ask what did he see because when the VAR calls you over to the sideline then I think he is in doubt about the decision.
“But he needed only a second [to decide]. So he went there, had a look and give a penalty, so he obviously saw something other people didn’t see. I haven’t seen it back yet but everyone who speaks to me tells me the same. How can it be a penalty? So.
And just months later, Klopp was left fuming again after Andrew Robertson was sent off in a fiery draw with Tottenham.
Liverpool also thought England star Harry Kane should have received his marching orders. Kavanagh was not the referee that day but did oversee the game on VAR.
“It’s a clear, absolutely 100 per cent a red card,” Klopp said about Robertson’s dismissal. “If Andy Robertson’s foot is on the ground his leg is broken. Luckily for both it was in the air, but it’s still a red card. The ref saw it differently.”
Talking specifically about VAR’s role in the game, the Liverpool boss added: “We saw it back and yes you can give a red card there [for Kane]. It’s not the harshest ever but not the smartest as well and he knows that.
“He lost it a little bit. This red card you can give but this was proof that VAR was there today because before that we thought he might not be in his office. I think we all agree that Harry Kane should have seen a red card, and he didn’t.”