The Premier League’s refereeing body is investigating a video appearing to show one of its leading referees, David Coote, calling former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp “f****** arrogant” and a “German c***” in an extraordinary rant.
The footage circulating on social media appears to show Coote in conversation with an unknown man, who asks the official what he thinks of an unspecified Liverpool game.
“Liverpool were s***,” the man appearing to be Coote replies.
Asked what he thinks of Klopp, Coote responds: “C***. Absolute c***,” before adding: “Aside from having a right pop at me when I reffed him against Burnley in lockdown, then he accused me of lying and then just had a right f****** pop at me. And 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.”
In a second video, Coote adds: “Just to be clear, that f****** last video can’t go anywhere. Seriously.”
The Independent has not been able to verify the content of the video and neither Coote nor the referees’ body, the Professional Game Match Officials Board, have yet commented. The PGMOL is looking into the footage.
Coote was the referee during Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Aston Villa on Saturday evening. It is currently unclear if the video was recorded before or after this match.
In the video, Coote appears to reference a match between Liverpool and Burnley in the 2020/21 season – a 1-1 draw at Anfield.
Coote was also the VAR during Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal last December, in Klopp’s final season at Anfield, when the Reds were controversially denied a penalty after Martin Odegaard touched the ball with his hand in the penalty area. Howard Webb, the head of the PGMOL, admitted that referee Chris Kavanagh and the VAR, Coote, were wrong not to award a penalty.
more to follow…
