Top Premier League referee David Coote is SUSPENDED over video that shows him ranting about Liverpool and calling Jurgen Klopp ‘f***ing arrogant’
Premier League referee David Coote has been suspended by his bosses after an investigation was launched into a video allegedly showing the official disrespecting Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp.
Coote, who refereed Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Aston Villa on Saturday, is shown in the video – which appears to be from several years ago – calling then Reds boss Klopp a ‘German ****’ and ‘f***ing arrogant’.
PGMOL confirmed Coote has been suspended with immediate effect in a statement on Monday.
It read: ‘David Coote has been suspended with immediate effect pending a full investigation. PGMOL will be making no further comment until that process is complete.’
It is worth noting that the PGMOL is only in the preliminary stages of its investigation and there is a possibility that the video could be a deep-fake or made using artificial intelligence.
An astonishing leaked video appearing to show Premier League official David Coote calling Liverpool ‘s***’ and Jurgen Klopp a ‘German ****’ is being investigated by referees chiefs
Coote, who was the man in charge during Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Aston Villa this weekend, has been suspended with immediate effect by PGMOL pending a full investigation
The astonishing video, which has gone viral on social media, appears to show Coote looking worse for wear as he delivers an explicit rant about the Merseyside club.
‘Liverpool were s***,’ said the man alleged to be Coote in the video. ‘(Klopp is a) ****, absolute ****. Aside from having a right pop at me when I was refereeing them against Burnley in lockdown, he accused me of lying and then had a right f***ing pop of me.
‘I have no interest in speaking to someone who is f***ing arrogant. So I do my best not to speak to him. (James) Milner is all right, I get on with him. You can see me there with a ‘mask’ on. But, my god, German ****, f*** me.’
In a second video, the man added: ‘Just to be clear, that f***ing last video cannot go anywhere, seriously.’
The game the man alleged to be Coote is referring to in the stunning video was Liverpool’s controversial 1-1 draw with Burnley back in 2020.
In the match which saw Liverpool drop points for the first time at home that season, Andy Robertson was caught on camera angrily confronting Coote in an expletive-laden rant after not being awarded a penalty.
‘How’s that not a penalty is a disgrace,; the Scotsman fumed after the game. ‘How the f*** is that not a penalty? You didn’t see f****** anything.
‘You didn’t see anything the whole game apart from f****** booking them in the last minute. F*** me. What’s the point in having you in the middle? What’s the point in having you? F*** me. Honestly.’
The footage appears to be taken after Coote officiated Liverpool’s controversial 1-1 draw against Burnley in 2020, when Andy Robertson was left furious at the Premier League referee
Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp clashing with Coote during a league match back in 2022
Coote has been a Premier League referee since 2018 and has since had plenty of run-ins with Klopp, who left Anfield at the end of last campaign.
Midway through last season during Arsenal’s clash with Liverpool in December, Klopp vented his fury at Coote and the rest of the match officials after his side were denied a penalty despite Martin Odegaard appearing to handle the ball inside the 18-yard box.
Chris Kavanagh, who was the match referee, waved play on and the game was not stopped for a VAR check by the officials, with Coote confident that the Norwegian only handled the ball in the act of falling, which isn’t deemed punishable by the Premier League’s rules.
‘Yes I have seen it,’ Klopp fumed after the game. ‘I am pretty sure someone will come to explain it to me why it was not a handball but I don’t know how? I don’t say that the ref can see it because I don’t know where he was in that moment.’
Referring to Coote’s role in the incident, he added: ‘But how can a guy in an office see that and not come to the conclusion that maybe, possibly it could be worth the referee having another look?’
Howard Webb, head of PGMOL, subsequently admitted that Kavanagh and Coote made a mistake by not awarding Liverpool a penalty during the 1-1 draw.
