Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has accused Liverpool coaching staff of breaching the touchline code during the two team’s midweek fixture in the Premier League at the Anfield. He cited it as the reason for engaging in the heated brawl with The Reds manager Jurgen Klopp.

Asked to detail touchline etiquette, IANS quoted Lampard as saying to Sky Sports, “What is the code? I think when you speak between managers, and there are lots of decisions that go and you can hear it more clearly now without the crowd. And lots of managers will call for decisions and it may be right or wrong. And then you speak with each other.

“But when people on the bench jump up and want to speak across to myself and then smirk and smile and then continue to do so for quite a while; I think that is past the code,” the Chelsea boss added.

However, Lampard has also expressed his regret for being in the foul-mouthed altercation with Klopp. But said that he did that with his passion to defend his team and for that, he doesn’t have any regret.

“To be honest, I have seen the video and I was there. In terms of the language I used, I do regret that. These things get played a lot on social media. I have two young daughters on social media, but in terms of my passion to defend my team, then no regrets,” Goal.com quoted Lampard as saying.

“I would have had a beer with Jurgen Klopp to toast their success. There were things I didn’t like from their bench, not Jurgen Klopp, but their bench. Emotions run high in this game,” he added.

The brawl had started when the referee gave Liverpool a controversial free-kick during the high-voltage thriller between the Premier League champions and Chelsea. The referee thought that Mateo Kovacic had fouled Sadio Mane but replay showed that it was a successful tackle from the Croatian.

As Trent Alexander-Arnold curled in a perfect spot-kick to extend Liverpool’s lead in the match, Chelsea players were left fuming and Lampard was seen hurling abuses at Klopp in the sidelines at Anfield.

The match ended 5-3 in favour of Liverpool and after the contest, they were handed their first Premier League trophy in 30 years.