Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp was on Monday fined 10,000 euros ($13,928) by the German Football Association (DFB) after being banished to the stands for the eighth time in his career.
The 46-year-old was sent from the sidelines by referee Deniz Aytekin after a verbal exchange with the fourth official just before the final whistle in Dortmund’s 2-1 home Bundesliga defeat by Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday.
The Dortmund coach was left furious after Aytekin had earlier failed to award a penalty following a suspected handball from ‘Gladbach’s Filip Daems when the home side were 2-0 down.
“The fact Jurgen Klopp is a repeat offender could have affected the sports court’s judgement,” said Anton Nachreiner, chairman of the DFB’s disciplinary committee.
According to German daily Bild, referee Aytekin mentioned in his match report that Klopp had “repeatedly behaved offensively”.
Klopp insists he did nothing wrong, although he has said he will not appeal the fine.
“The fourth official had me sent to the stands,” said Klopp.
“I know what I said: there was a situation where I turned around to him and said, ‘you didn’t blow (the whistle) there’.
“It was nothing more.
“I have often, quite rightly, been punished in the past, but it was nothing on this occasion.”
Klopp’s previous offences include being sent to the stands during Dortmund’s 2-1 Champions League defeat at Napoli last September, for which he was given a two-match ban by European football’s governing body UEFA.
Klopp has already had to pay out 48,000 euros in fines during his career.