Premier League Referee David Coote Suspended Over Derogatory Remarks Against Liverpool And Klopp
Premier League referee David Coote has been suspended following the release of video footage in which he is heard calling Jürgen Klopp a “German cunt” and referring to Liverpool as “shit.”
The remarks were made after a 1-1 draw between Liverpool and Burnley during Project Restart in 2020, where Coote described Klopp as “arrogant” and claimed he accused him of lying.
Just before his suspension, Coote officiated Liverpool’s recent 2-0 victory against Aston Villa.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), which is responsible for overseeing match officials in professional football in England, 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.
As reported by The Guardian, the controversial video appears to date from the 2020-21 season, featuring referee David Coote making derogatory remarks about Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool.
In the footage, Coote expresses disdain for Klopp, labelling him “arrogant” and recalling a previous incident during a match against Burnley, where he felt Klopp accused him of lying.
Coote uses explicit language, referring to Klopp as a “German cunt” and criticising Liverpool’s performance in a game earlier that day.
The conversation was recorded by another man, who also made disparaging comments about Klopp and Liverpool fans.
In the video, Coote and the man imply they are breaching COVID regulations by sitting close together. In a separate clip, Coote asks not to share the original recording.
The discussion includes a still image of Coote on the touchline with Klopp during Liverpool’s 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa.
In Liverpool’s next match, Coote served as the video assistant referee when Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s challenge on Virgil van Dijk, which resulted in an anterior cruciate ligament injury, went unpunished.
Coote also faced criticism from Klopp as the VAR for the 1-1 draw between Liverpool and Arsenal last December, where an apparent handball by Martin Ødegaard did not lead to a penalty.
Howard Webb, the chief refereeing officer for PGMOL, later said that the incident should have resulted in a spot-kick.
It is understood Liverpool feel it would be inappropriate to comment with an investigation underway
Under Coote’s officiating, Liverpool has won five, drawn one, and lost two of the eight matches he refereed during Klopp’s tenure as manager.
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