You don’t have to be the biggest football fan to know there has been a lot of controversy recently.
“Significant human error” resulted in a perfectly good goal being ruled out in a showpiece match between Tottenham and Liverpool.
That mistake has filled airtime, column inches, social media channels and WhatsApp feeds.
Then, just as it seemed the story might be running out of impetus, a key figure breathed fresh life and a big helping of contention into the sorry saga.
And that offers some media training lessons for other spokespeople.
Let’s take you back a couple of stages.
Liverpool scored a goal in their match with Spurs that was incorrectly ruled out for offside despite being checked by VAR – officials who check key moments in games for officiating errors.
Amid the fallout, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body responsible for refereeing standards in the UK, subsequently released chaotic audio of the decision-making, conversations and panic that led to the error.
While the failure to correct such a ‘clear and obvious error’ – the very thing it was brought in to do - is embarrassing, it should be commended for its transparency. And it quickly announced changes it would make to try to prevent a similar gaffe from happening in the future – a good crisis communication move.
PGMOL can confirm that we have carried out a review into the circumstances which led to the Luis Diaz goal being incorrectly disallowed for offside in the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Liverpool FC.
— PGMOL (@FA_PGMOL) October 3, 2023
Full statement and the audio between the on-field team… pic.twitter.com/j1YKK1gAzH
But there was to be another twist.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had been extremely measured and composed in his media interviews immediately after the controversial game. And won plaudits for his approach.
So, when he attended a scheduled press conference to preview the club’s next match, it seemed he would adopt a similar diplomatic tone.
But not all went to plan - here are a few of the headlines that the press conference generated.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp demands Spurs match to be replayed after VAR mistake Sky News
Jurgen Klopp demands Liverpool are given a replay after VAR audio is released Mirror
Jurgen Klopp demands Tottenham-Liverpool replay but Premier League stand firm on result Telegraph
Jurgen Klopp demands Liverpool vs Spurs replay after VAR mistake LBC
Now, as a Liverpool fan, I love Jurgen.
And I have some sympathy with him over these headlines. He didn’t demand a replay.
Here’s what he said: “Yes, it was a mistake, an obvious mistake, and I think there would have been solutions for it afterwards.
“And I can say immediately, even probably some people don't want me to say, but not as the manager of Liverpool so much, more as a football person, I think the outcome should be a replay. That's how it is, probably will not happen.
“The argument against that will probably be if we open that gate then everybody will ask for it.”
As you can see, no demands.
He says what he would like to happen and then admits it is unlikely.
But playing replays to rectify refereeing errors would be an unprecedented step. It is a hugely controversial suggestion with massive complexities around what type of mistakes would require a replay and the logistical challenges of how it could happen.
And that is why uttering this particular R-word – even though he went on to suggest its pros and cons - caused such a storm and added hysteria and oxygen to a debate that had been raging for days and was just starting to quieten down.
The journalists gathered for the press conference probably could not believe their luck. They could not have wished for an easier way to keep the story going.
If you have been on one of our media training courses before, you will remember we use the TRUTH acronym to describe what makes something. It stands for Timely, Relevant, Unusual, Trouble and Human.
The more of those 5 elements you include, the more likely you have something that grabs the attention of journalists. The replay comments, even though they are more nuanced than the headlines suggest, don’t just tick the Trouble box, they smash it into the top corner.
Anyone who follows football will know the Liverpool boss likes to offer his opinion on a range of issues.
And anyone who understands news would have anticipated that a press conference designed to preview the club’s upcoming fixture with Union Saint-Gilloise would be dominated by questions looking back at what had happened in the previous match.
So, surely, there should have been detailed planning and preparation around how those questions would be handled and what could be said. Preparation lies at the heart of good media interviews and press conferences.
No one wants to stifle opinion. But mooting the replay idea – not demanding – doesn’t help anyone.
Even Klopp admitted it wouldn’t happen. So, bringing it up and speculating on it as a solution offers lots of media risk for no reward. Only ridicule.
Another key media training lesson here is around length of answers in interviews. The opening question in the press conference, which led to the replay comments, was met with an 880-word meandering response. That’s too long. Overly short answers are also problematic. But spokespeople should keep answers succinct.
The manager was keen to stress that the replay solution was his personal opinion. But good media training teaches delegates that when you offer a personal opinion, either proactively or in response to a question, journalists will still see you as a representative of your organisation.
The “it’s my personal view, not that of my business”, line doesn’t work.
Perhaps Liverpool are happy for the idea of a replay to be discussed – at the time of writing, it has not commented.
The lesson for other media spokespeople is to ensure that any personal opinions they offer in media interviews are shared by the organisation they represent.
If not, they face scoring a media interview own goal.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with over 35 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers.
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