Premier League referee David Coote suspended over alleged video
Coote officiated Liverpool's 2-0 win against Aston Villa on Saturday at Anfield
Premier League referee David Coote has been suspended with immediate effect after a video surfaced appearing to show him making an expletive-laden rant about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp.
The footage, which began circulating on social media on Monday, allegedly shows Coote referring to Liverpool as “s**t” and Klopp “a German c**t.”
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body overseeing referees, swiftly launched an investigation.
Within two hours, they confirmed that David Coote, who has officiated in the Premier League since 2018, had been suspended.
A statement from the PGMOL 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 video in question appears to reference a Premier League match that Coote officiated between Liverpool and Burnley in July 2020, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
After that game, Klopp publicly criticised Coote for not awarding fouls for challenges made on Liverpool players.
Under PGMOL regulations, referees are required to disclose the clubs they support.
Coote, who hails from Nottingham, is registered as a Notts County fan, which prevents him from officiating matches involving either Notts County or Nottingham Forest.
PGMOL has stated that it will not provide further comment on the matter until the investigation is concluded.
Coote had been the referee for Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday evening, marking the eighth time he had officiated a match involving the Reds.
Read more: PGMOL investigate alleged David Coote video aiming a dig at Liverpool and Klopp
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