Premier League referee David Coote has been suspended after a video emerged purportedly showing him making insulting statements against Liverpool and the club’s former manager, Jürgen Klopp.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) confirmed Coote’s suspension, noting that it takes “immediate effect” pending a thorough investigation into the incident.
Coote, a seasoned Premier League referee since 2018, supervised Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday.
He is again under scrutiny following the release of an unsubstantiated video that allegedly refers to a prior match he refereed between Liverpool and Burnley in July 2020.
That game ended in a 1-1 tie, and Klopp openly chastised the referee for not giving fouls for challenges on Liverpool players.
PGMOL has stated that it will “withhold further comment until its investigation concludes,” according to multiple reports.
However, transfer analyst Fabrizio Romano also reported the development on his X page, writing, “Official: PL referee David Coote has been suspended with immediate effect pending a full investigation. PGMOL will make no further comment until that process is complete.”
