Referee David Coote suspended with immediate effect over alleged Jurgen Klopp insult video
Referee David Coote has been suspended with immediate effect over an expletive-filled video which appears to show him making derogatory comments about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body responsible for overseeing match officials, took action over the video that has been widely shared on social media in which Coote seems to use a highly offensive term to describe the German.
Klopp left Liverpool in the summer after almost a decade in charge.
Coote was the official for the Reds’ most recent Premier League game – a 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday 9 November.
The video shows a man, alleged to be Coote, calling Klopp a "German ****" and "f***ing arrogant". The man also appears to criticise Liverpool saying "Liverpool were s**t".
He then uses an offensive term to describe Klopp and, asked why he felt that way about the German, Coote says he had “a right pop at me when I reffed them against Burnley in lockdown” and “accused me of lying”.
“I have got no interest in speaking to someone who’s f****** arrogant, so I do my best not to speak to him,” Coote says.
It is unclear when the video was recorded, however the man alleged to be Coote makes reference to lockdown and social distancing.
It is not yet confirmed that the video is genuine, but it is understood PGMOL is treating it as genuine.
In a statement it said: “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 understood Liverpool are aware of the video but in light of an investigation being launched do not feel it would be appropriate to comment.
Klopp was critical that Coote, as VAR, had failed to award Liverpool a penalty against Arsenal last season when Gunners midfielder Martin Odegaard’s hand made contact with the ball.
Coote judged that Odegaard handled the ball as he sought to keep his balance and did not advise on-field official Chris Kavanagh to review the incident.
Klopp said after the match: “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.
“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?”
Coote was also the VAR in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park in October 2020 when Toffees goalkeeper Jordan Pickford inflicted a season-ending injury on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.
Pickford was not sent off for the challenge and did not face retrospective action because, under Football Association rules, that can only happen if an incident was not seen either at the time or when it was reviewed by VAR.