Football Official David Coote Suspended Over Video Allegations Involving Liverpool and Klopp

Premier League official David Coote has been suspended subsequent to the circulation on social media of a video purportedly featuring him making disparaging remarks about Liverpool and its former manager Jurgen Klopp, with Coote having officiated Liverpool’s 2-0 triumph against Aston Villa on Saturday. PGMOL, the refereeing organization, stated that the suspension is effective immediately and is contingent upon a comprehensive investigation. The BBC has not authenticated the video, which has been extensively shared across social media platforms. The timing of its filming and its veracity remain uncertain. However, a source informed the BBC that PGMOL’s investigation is proceeding on the assumption that the video is authentic. Coote, aged 42, presided over Liverpool’s 2-0 victory against Aston Villa last Saturday. He ranks among the Premier League’s most seasoned officials, having overseen top-flight matches since 2018. The circulating video seemingly references a Premier League fixture from July 2020, which Coote officiated, between Liverpool and Burnley, concluding in a 1-1 draw. Following that match, Klopp voiced criticism of Coote, asserting that the referee neglected to award fouls for challenges against Liverpool’s players. Within the video, the individual identified as Coote states that Klopp “had a right pop at me when I reffed them against Burnley in lockdown.” He further labels Klopp as arrogant and uses expletives multiple times when speaking about him. The footage depicts him alongside another man and extends for slightly more than a minute. The specifics of how this video came to light are not clear. PGMOL has indicated it will refrain from making additional comments on the matter until its inquiry concludes. BBC Sport has learned that Liverpool is cognizant of the video but is not issuing a statement at this juncture. Coote, recognized as a highly-esteemed international Video Assistant Referee who served at the Olympic Games in Paris, will now be excluded from all Nations League fixtures scheduled for this week and the following week. In an interview with BBC Sport on Monday, Rick Parry, chairman of the English Football League, remarked: “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.” Officials are mandated to disclose their preferred club to PGMOL. Coote, a native of Nottinghamshire, is officially registered as a supporter of Notts County, which precludes him from officiating matches involving either County or Nottingham Forest. Having already secured their inaugural Premier League title, Liverpool’s objectives in July 2020 had shifted towards becoming the first club to achieve a perfect record of home victories throughout the season. The Reds were experiencing a 24-match winning streak at Anfield, establishing a 25-point advantage over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. Furthermore, Klopp’s squad aspired to be the second team to accumulate 100 points in a 38-game Premier League season, emulating Manchester City’s accomplishment in the 2017-18 campaign. Andrew Robertson put Liverpool ahead against the Clarets, prior to Jay Rodriguez scoring the equalizer, ensuring the visiting team secured a point. Upon the final whistle, Klopp seemingly engaged in a dispute with Coote and his officiating team on the field. “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,” Klopp stated after the game. He added: “We were angry with the referee but we have to criticise ourselves first for not finishing the game.” Liverpool subsequently lost their following match against Arsenal, thereby extinguishing their aspirations of achieving 100 points. Klopp expressed his displeasure with Coote after Liverpool’s 1-1 draw against Burnley in July 2020. Based on appearance statistics from the football website Transfermarkt, Coote has officiated 112 Premier League encounters, among them three involving Liverpool. He has also refereed Liverpool on an additional five occasions in cup competitions. The three Premier League matches involving Liverpool that he refereed were: July 2020, the 1-1 draw against Burnley, as mentioned in the video March 2024, Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Brighton November 2024, Saturday’s 2-0 triumph against Aston Villa As one of PGMOL’s most esteemed Video Assistant Referee officials, Coote has served as the VAR for 64 Premier League matches, with 11 of these involving Liverpool, the initial instance occurring in September 2019. In October 2020, Coote held the VAR role during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Everton, a game where Klopp voiced dissatisfaction regarding the decision not to dismiss Jordan Pickford for a challenge on Virgil van Dijk, and also a stoppage-time goal by Jordan Henderson that was disallowed for offside. Liverpool subsequently requested the Premier League to examine those two VAR rulings. Coote was subsequently not assigned as the VAR for a Liverpool Premier League match again until September 2023, which marked the first of seven Liverpool Premier League matches where he served as VAR during the previous season.