By Ashiadey Dotse
English Premier League referee David Coote has been suspended by PGMOL, the organisation in charge of referees, while they investigate a video on social media where Coote allegedly makes negative remarks about Liverpool and their former manager, Jürgen Klopp.
In the video, Coote is supposedly heard speaking poorly of Liverpool and Klopp, who left the club in May. The authenticity of the video and when it was recorded have not been verified.
PGMOL announced, “David Coote has been suspended with immediate effect pending a full investigation,” adding that they will not comment further until the investigation is complete.
Liverpool is aware of the video but has chosen not to comment until PGMOL concludes its investigation.
Coote, 42, refereed Liverpool’s recent 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Anfield. He has been a Premier League referee since 2018.
The video seems to mention a July 2020 match between Liverpool and Burnley that ended 1-1, where Klopp criticised Coote’s decisions on tackles against Liverpool players.