'Liverpool is s, Klopp is a c': EPL referee David Coote suspended over bombshell old video (WATCH)

By Sunita Iyer | First Published Nov 12, 2024, 7:29 AM IST

Premier League referee David Coote has been suspended after a video circulated on social media allegedly showing him making derogatory comments about Liverpool FC and its former manager, Jurgen Klopp. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the refereeing body for English professional football, announced the suspension, pending a full investigation into the incident.

The video, which has not been verified, shows a man believed to be Coote making critical and expletive-laden remarks about Klopp. The man allegedly refers to a Premier League match that Coote officiated between Liverpool and Burnley in July 2020, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Klopp had criticized Coote after that game, accusing the referee of allowing overly physical play without penalizing fouls against Liverpool players.

Empire of the Kop sources have obtained footage (now widely circulated online) of video clips which appear to show David Coote indulging in a foul-mouthed rant about Jurgen Klopp in which he repeatedly used inflammatory language to defame the ex-Liverpool manager: pic.twitter.com/5X2znVudII

— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop)

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PGMOL stated that Coote’s suspension is effective immediately and emphasized that they would not comment further until their inquiry is concluded. However, a BBC report quoting a source said that PGMOL is treating the video as authentic for the purposes of the investigation.

Liverpool FC has reportedly been made aware of the video but has chosen not to comment on the matter at this stage. Speaking to BBC Sport, English Football League chairman Rick Parry said, "PGMOL is dealing with it—they have suspended him. They've acted quickly and they will make sure they deal with it thoroughly and professionally."

The video shows Coote in conversation with another man, mentioning how Klopp “had a right pop at me when I reffed them against Burnley in lockdown.” In addition to labeling Klopp as "arrogant," he reportedly uses profanity to describe the manager.

Coote, 42, is one of the Premier League's most experienced officials, having officiated matches in the top tier of English football since 2018. He recently refereed Liverpool's 2-0 win over Aston Villa. PGMOL regulations require referees to declare their club allegiance to avoid potential conflicts of interest. Coote, originally from Nottingham, is registered as a Notts County supporter, which prevents him from officiating matches involving either Notts County or Nottingham Forest.

What David Coote said in controversial video

The video, believed to be several years old, surfaced on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday. It features Coote sitting on a sofa talking to another man about two separate Liverpool fixtures.

He is asked: "What did you think of the Liverpool game earlier?" Coote responds: "Liverpool were s***." He is then asked: "What do you think of Jurgen Klopp?" To which Coote replied: "C***. Absolute c***."

"Aside from having a right pop at me when I refereed them against Burnley in lockdown, he accused me of lying then had a right f****** pop at me."

Referring to a second match in which he was acting as fourth official, he continued: "I've got no interest in speaking to someone who's f****** arrogant. So I do my best not to speak to him. James Milner's alright."

"You can see me there [in a picture on his phone] with a mask on. Got to careful right, we're social distancing, we're two metres apart. But my God, German c***. F*** me."

"Just to be clear, that f****** last video can't go anywhere. Seriously," Coote said.

Background: The Liverpool-Burnley Match Incident

In July 2020, with Liverpool already crowned champions, the club aimed to complete an undefeated home season and amass 100 points, a feat previously achieved only by Manchester City. However, their winning streak at Anfield was halted in the 1-1 draw with Burnley, a match that saw tensions flare between Klopp and Coote.

After the game, Klopp criticized Coote for allegedly allowing Burnley's physical challenges to go unpunished. At the time, Klopp said, "The referee let lots of challenges go so it was clear that if the ball comes into the box it was dangerous. They [Burnley] did what they are good at and I respect that. We were angry with the referee but we have to criticise ourselves first for not finishing the game."

Liverpool’s next fixture ended in a defeat to Arsenal, dashing their hopes of reaching the 100-point milestone.

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