English football referee David Coote has been suspended until further notice. The reason is obviously videos in which he speaks disparagingly about former Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp. According to English media reports, in the short clips that circulated on social media on Monday, Coote is said to have made insulting comments about Klopp and described the former German coach as “damn arrogant”.
The authenticity of the videos could not initially be verified. The responsible refereeing organization PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) said David Coote was suspended until a full investigation was completed. There will be no further comment on the ongoing proceedings.
In one video, Coote is reportedly asked for his opinion on a Liverpool game where he was the fourth official. He therefore used an expletive to describe Klopp. When asked why he felt that way about the German, Coote said Klopp had “really made a fool of him when I was captaining the team against Burnley during lockdown”. He also called the 57-year-old a liar.
Jürgen Klopp and Coote were in a clinch several times
Klopp repeatedly clashed with Coote during his time at Liverpool. Among other things, he accused the referee of mistakes last season after Coote was used as a video assistant in Liverpool’s match against Arsenal.
Years earlier, Klopp had also complained about the video assistant Coote during the Merseyside derby against Everton because he had not intervened when Jordan Pickford allegedly fouled Virgil van Dijk.
