Premier League referee suspended after insulting Liverpool and coach Jurgen Klopp

The Premier League and Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOL) have been rocked by controversy following the suspension of referee David Coote. The decision comes after two leaked videos surfaced online, showing Coote making offensive remarks about Liverpool FC and their former manager, Jurgen Klopp.

The videos, whose recording date remains unclear, depict Coote engaging in explicit criticism of Liverpool and Klopp. The footage appears to capture Coote speaking candidly in what seems to be a private setting with another man alongside him, discussing his experience officiating Liverpool matches.

In the first video, lasting over a minute, Coote responds to a question about his experience as a fourth official in a Liverpool game: “Liverpool were s—.” He is then asked: “What do you think of Jurgen Klopp?” To which Coote replied: “C—. Absolute c—… Aside from having a right pop at me when I refereed them against Burnley in lockdown, he accused me of lying then had a right f— pop at me.

“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,” he added. While showing a picture of him on the sideline while announcing the substitution, the referee continued his rant. “You can see me there with a mask on. Got to careful right, we’re social distancing, we’re two metres apart. But my God, German c—. F— me,” Coote concluded in the first video.

The second video, just 23 seconds long, shows Coote warning the recipient not to share the footage. “Just to be clear, that f— last video can’t go anywhere. Seriously,” said the referee.

The videos were reportedly leaked on X (formerly Twitter) by the user @Josh97LFC and quickly gained attention from fans and authorities. The PGMOL released an official statement addressing the matter: “David Coote has been suspended with immediate effect pending a full investigation. PGMOL will be making no further comment until that process is complete.”

David Coote controversies with Liverpool

The leaked videos reference specific incidents involving Coote and Liverpool. In one clip, Coote mentions his role in Liverpool’s 1-1 draw against Burnley at Anfield in July 2020. During that game, Klopp was seen visibly frustrated with Coote’s officiating.

This isn’t the only controversy involving Coote and Liverpool. In December 2023, Coote, acting as a VAR official, failed to advise the pitch referee to award a penalty for a handball by Arsenal’s Martin Ødegaard during a 1-1 draw. Klopp criticized the decision post-match, saying, “I am pretty sure someone will come to explain it to me why it was not a handball but I don’t know how?”

After this situation, referees’ chief Howard Webb subsequently admitted that it wasn’t pitch referee Chris Kavanagh, but VAR Coote who had made an error and that the penalty should have been awarded.

David Coote during 2024-24 Premier League season

David Coote, who has been a Select Group One referee since the 2018-19 season, officiated six Premier League matches before his suspension. Most notably, he refereed Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Aston Villa last Saturday, issuing three yellow cards to Villa players: Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, and Boubacar Kamara.