The referee David Coote has been suspended after a video emerged which appears to show him using foul language to abuse Liverpool and their former manager Jürgen Klopp.
Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL), the organisation which oversees Premier League referees, instigated an investigation after the video was published on social media. The outcome could mean the end of Coote’s career as a professional referee.
A statement from PGMOL 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.”
A still from the video that appears to show Coote criticising Klopp
The 42-year-old from Nottinghamshire was the referee for Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.
The clip shows a man, alleged to be Coote, being asked questions by a friend in what he clearly believes is a private video. Asked what he thought of a Liverpool performance, Coote answers: “Liverpool were s**t”.
He then embarks on a lengthy tirade about Klopp, calling him a “c***, absolute c***”.
He goes on: “Aside from having a right pop at me when I was reffing against Burnley in lockdown, he accused me of lying and then just had a right f***ing pop at me. I’ve got no interest in speaking to somebody as f***ing arrogant. I do my best not to speak to him… my god, German c***t. F*** me.”
Coote on fourth official duty, in discussion with Klopp
GETTY
The man asking the questions then says: “Long story short, Jürgen Klopp’s a c****, Liverpool are all f***ing bellends and we hate Scousers.”
Another clip then shows the man alleged to be Coote imploring others not to share the video, saying: “Just to be clear that f***ing last video can’t go anywhere.”
It is not yet confirmed that the video is genuine, or when it was filmed.
Coote was involved in controversy on Saturday night when he did not send off Villa’s Leon Bailey for a last-man challenge on Mohamed Salah — he appeared to indicate no foul and the ball ran on for Darwin Núñez to score. He also rejected a Villa penalty for a shirt-pull by the Liverpool defender Conor Bradley.
Last season, Howard Webb, the head of the PGMOL, admitted that referee Chris Kavanagh and the VAR, Coote, were wrong not to award a penalty against Martin Odegaard for handball in a 1-1 draw between Liverpool and Arsenal.
Odegaard should have been penalised for handball when Liverpool drew with Arsenal at Anfield last season, according to Webb
Coote refereed Liverpool’s 1-1 home draw with Burnley in July 2020 and 2-1 home win over Brighton and Hove Albion in March 2024. After the draw with Burnley, Klopp criticised Coote for being too lenient, saying: “The referee let lots of challenges go.”
In October 2020, Klopp questioned how the Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford had not been dismissed for a challenge that injured Virgil van Dijk early on and led to him missing the rest of the season. Pickford escaped punishment as Van Dijk was offside in the build-up, though it was not clear whether Coote, who was the VAR, checked for a potential red card.
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