Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp claimed that the referee and his assistants were not up to “the level of the game” as he ranted about the officiating during the Carabao Cup final. Virgil van Dijk’s 118th-minute winner in extra-time gave the Reds a 1-0 win over Chelsea at Wembley, but controversy reigned following key decisions at Wembley.
Van Dijk had a goal disallowed in the first half when Wataru Endo was adjudged to have been offside in the build-up for acting as a ‘blocker’. Klopp also felt that Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo should have been punished for a foul that left Ryan Gravenberch on a stretcher.
Speaking after the game, Klopp said the referee “did not have the level of the game” and continued to rant about the officials, questioning whether decisions are having to be made too quickly and accuracy is forfeited as a result.
“There were two teams who were fighting extremely hard,” Klopp told Sky Sports. “And the referee was not. They did not have the level of the game. That’s how it is, I am sorry for that. I know it’s a big story in that but everybody saw that it was not even a foul (on Gravenberch), they did not even whistle a foul!
“And then the fourth officials explains to me ‘Yeah because of that we cannot give a card because it wasn’t…’ Oh, good idea! So these boys, I am not sure if we ask too much too quick, whatever for them but this situation was obvious for me, we saw it, everything you need for a card.
“They did an X-ray (on Gravenberch), it is not broken but the ligaments got something. I actually feel really bad, but everything else is really good.”
Gravenberch was spotted on crutches during the on-pitch celebrations in another blow for Liverpool on the injury front, with Klopp concerned about his already-stretched squad for their midweek FA Cup tie against Southampton.
“We don’t have a team right now for Wednesday,” he added. “The guys who came on can maybe play again, the rest will get treatment on Monday.
“I love this country to bits, but the schedule is not made for winning a lot. We will see the price we have to pay, but we fight for everything then we see what comes next. Somehow against Southampton there will be a team in Liverpool shirts.”
