Premier League referee David Coote has previously been the subject of an investigation into alleged misconduct back in the 2017-18 season, according to a report.
Coote has been suspended by referees’ chiefs after footage – which appears to be several years old showed him calling then Reds boss Klopp a ‘German c***’ and ‘f***ing arrogant’.
The PGMOL – the body responsible for refereeing games in England – has launched an investigation and is looking into the possibility that it is a deep-fake or made using artificial intelligence.
Coote has now reportedly admitted it is genuine, but does not recall the contents of the entire conversation.
It is not the first time Coote has been subject of a disciplinary probe by the PGMOL.
David Coote has reportedly admitted that footage of him calling Jurgen Klopp a ‘German ****’ in a foul-mouthed tirade about Liverpool is genuine
Coote, who was the man in charge during Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Aston Villa this weekend, has been suspended with immediate effect by PGMOL pending a full investigation
The official, pictured in 2017, had previously been suspended at the start of the 2017-18 season amid a probe into allegations of misconduct
Coote was one of two match officials investigated in 2017 as part of a prove into separate misconduct cases.
The official had not taken charge of a Premier League match at the time and largely oversaw Championship fixtures.
According to the Daily Mirror, it had initially been claimed that Coote had been injured before it emerged he was under investigation during the early weeks of the 2017-18 season.
The nature of the allegations were not made public, but Coote’s suspension had reportedly be related to a previous role he had with a local football association.
Coote remained on the Select Group 2 list of referees and later returned from the suspension.
He made his Premier League debut later that season, taking charge of West Brom’s 1-0 victory over Newcastle.
Six years on, the official has been suspended again by the PGMOL pending an investigation.
The PGMOL confirmed Coote has been suspended with immediate effect in a statement on Monday.
The footage appears to be taken after Coote officiated Liverpool’s controversial 1-1 draw against Burnley in 2020, when Andy Robertson was left furious at the Premier League referee
It 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.’
The astonishing video, which has gone viral on social media, appears to show Coote looking worse for wear as he delivers an explicit rant about the Merseyside club.
‘Liverpool were s***,’ said the man alleged to be Coote in the video. ‘(Klopp is a) ****, absolute ****. Aside from having a right pop at me when I was refereeing them against Burnley in lockdown, he accused me of lying and then had a right f***ing pop of me.
‘I have no interest in speaking to someone who is f***ing arrogant. So I do my best not to speak to him. (James) Milner is all right, I get on with him. You can see me there with a ‘mask’ on. But, my god, German ****, f*** me.’
In a second video, the man added: ‘Just to be clear, that f***ing last video cannot go anywhere, seriously.’
The game the man alleged to be Coote is referring to in the stunning video was Liverpool’s controversial 1-1 draw with Burnley back in 2020.
In the match which saw Liverpool drop points for the first time at home that season, Andy Robertson was caught on camera angrily confronting Coote in an expletive-laden rant after not being awarded a penalty.
‘How’s that not a penalty is a disgrace,; the Scotsman fumed after the game. ‘How the f*** is that not a penalty? You didn’t see f****** anything.
‘You didn’t see anything the whole game apart from f****** booking them in the last minute. F*** me. What’s the point in having you in the middle? What’s the point in having you? F*** me. Honestly.’
Coote has been a Premier League referee since 2018 and has since had plenty of run-ins with Klopp, who left Anfield at the end of last campaign.
Midway through last season during Arsenal’s clash with Liverpool in December, Klopp vented his fury at Coote and the rest of the match officials after his side were denied a penalty despite Martin Odegaard appearing to handle the ball inside the 18-yard box.
Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp clashing with Coote during a league match back in 2022
Chris Kavanagh, who was the match referee, waved play on and the game was not stopped for a VAR check by the officials, with Coote confident that the Norwegian only handled the ball in the act of falling, which isn’t deemed punishable by the Premier League’s rules.
‘Yes I have seen it,’ Klopp fumed after the game. ‘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.’
Referring to Coote’s role in the incident, he added: ‘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?’
Howard Webb, head of PGMOL, subsequently admitted that Kavanagh and Coote made a mistake by not awarding Liverpool a penalty during the 1-1 draw.
