Premier League referee David Coote was suspended on Monday following the emergence of a video on social media appearing to show him making derogatory remarks about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
The video’s origin and circulation remain unclear, and Britain’s Press Association has not verified its authenticity.
In the clip, Coote allegedly refers to Klopp as “arrogant” and uses offensive language. The BBC reported that the video appears to mention a Liverpool-Burnley match officiated by Coote in July 2020, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Following that game, Klopp criticized Coote’s leniency regarding Burnley’s challenges.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) released a statement on Monday, saying: “David Coote has been suspended with immediate effect pending a full investigation. PGMOL will be making no further comment until that process is complete.”
Coote, 42, recently refereed Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday. During Klopp’s tenure at Liverpool, the German manager was vocal in his criticism of Coote on multiple occasions. This included incidents such as a Liverpool-Arsenal match where Klopp questioned Coote’s judgment as VAR after Martin Odegaard’s apparent handball went unreviewed.
Coote was also the VAR during the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park in October 2020, where Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s challenge resulted in a season-ending injury for Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk. The incident drew significant backlash as Pickford escaped punishment due to Football Association rules on retrospective action when VAR reviews an incident.
Klopp, who ended his nearly nine-year tenure at Liverpool last season, was known for his outspoken views on refereeing decisions, including several involving Coote.
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