Jose Mourinho Surprisingly Defends Jurgen Klopp After Touchline Incident In Win Over Liverpool

Jose Mourinho believes that fourth official Martin Atkinson made the "right decision" not to ban Jurgen Klopp from the touchline in Man Utd's weekend win over Liverpool, despite the German tactician dashing from his technical area to remonstrate referee Craig Pawson's decision to award a foul against Dejan Lovren.

Manchester United defeated the Reds 2-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday, thanks to an excellent brace from youngster Marcus Rashford.

Liverpool were handed a lifeline when Eric Bailly turned the ball into his own net in the second-half, but Mourinho's side held on for the three points to stretch the gap between second and third place to four points. 

It was a frustrating day for Liverpool boss Klopp, who hit out at referee Craig Pawson after the game, and many thought it should have got a lot worse for the German when he ran out of his technical area to angrily protest a decision to award a foul against his side. 

Following the incident, Pawson was called over by the fourth official but Klopp was eventually allowed to remain in the dugout - a decision which his United counterpart was "happy" with.

"Probably you are not expecting my answer: I'm happy with the decision," Mourinho revealed after the game, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo.

"Because he was not speaking against the referee. He was upset with a player and the same happened to me against Crystal Palace where I was upset with my player and therefore they [the officials] understood that too.

"I think [fourth official] Martin Atkinson, after so many years of this, I think made the right decision. I saw it. He [Klopp] was very upset with his player and not at the referee. If you leave the technical area by a couple of metres - or in this case 20 metres - but to speak to your own player and not to complain about the referee's decision, they made the right decision."