David Coote under investigation for Jurgen Klopp comments. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Premier League referee David Coote has been suspended from his official duties pending a full investigation after a video involving the England official went viral on social media on Monday.
The The footage showed the 42-year-old making disparaging comments about Liverpool and their former manager Jürgen Kloppjust days after the referee was the man in the middle for the Reds’ 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Anfield, which was led by the in-form Mohamed Salah.
The video showed Coote claiming Liverpool played “crap” in a game he was in and that Klopp is a “ca**t”.
The footage is currently being verified to see if it is genuine and if it turns out to be Coote, it looks like the England official will have no future as a top-flight referee.
according to ESPNthere will be no further update from the PGMOL until the investigation is complete, but Coote will not be available for selection as a referee or VAR during that time as the football calendar enters an international break.
This will give the investigation time to breathe before the Premier League resumes on November 23.
David Coote’s future as a Premier League referee is under threat
Coote has been a Premier League referee since 2018 and took charge of the 2023 Carabao Cup final between Manchester United and Newcastle. Having worked hard to reach this level of office, it is difficult to see the 42-year-old getting out of his current situation, as the images released are quite incriminating for his future in the sport.
The English referee can never be trusted to oversee another football match as every decision he makes will now be undermined.
There will likely be an update on his future before the Premier League restarts and it would be very surprising if it is good news for Coote.
