Jurgen Klopp told Sam Allardyce to 'calm down, it's Christmas' as they clashed during Liverpool's win over Sunderland

Allardyce later called Klopp a 'soft German'

(Reuters)

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp acted in the role of peacemaker during the touchline row between his staff and the staff of Sunderland, it has been revealed.

The two benches were involved in a heated exchange after Jermaine Lens' strong tackle on Mamadou Sakho late in the Reds' 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday night, with police even having to get involved to calm them.

Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce later claimed that Klopp was a 'soft German' if he believed that Lens' tackle warranted a red card, a comment for which he is not going to face action from the Football Association.

​Klopp shrugged off those comments, stating that it was "absolutely not a problem" and that he had been called "worse" things.

The Times have revealed that Klopp actually sought to diffuse tensions between the benches - telling everybody to "calm down - it's Christmas".

In his post-match press conference Allardyce had complained about "foul and abusive" language directed at him, with The Times reporting that one of Klopp's staff told him to "f****** sit down".

"There was some foul and abusive language towards my staff that I didn’t like," said Allardyce.


 Klopp was angered by Lens' tackle on Sakho
 (AP)

"After the end, it was alright though, because we all shook hands and got on with it, which is what you’ve got to do."

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday Klopp said of the whole incident: "It's absolutely not a problem; a lot of people have said worse about me.

"Soft German? Yeah, I think it is the first time. [If] you see the situation, you see it again, then you will know that I was not too wrong in judging this.

"[Sakho] is still alive and everything is OK. Situations like this have to be judged differently. I had no arguments with the bench of Sunderland. I've nothing else to say."

Liverpool travel to West Ham United on 2 January.