The video that allegedly shows David Coote explicitly criticizing Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp dominated the Premier League news agenda on Monday.
Coote, a Premier League referee since 2018 who has officiated multiple Liverpool matches, appears to call Liverpool "----" and describe Jurgen Klopp as a "German ----" in a video that was shared on social media on Monday.
Within two hours of the video being shared online, the PGMOL released a statement that said Coote had been suspended pending a full investigation into the facts around the video, which is yet to have its authenticity verified.
In the video, the person in the video alleged to be Coote says: "Aside from having a right pop at me when I reffed them against Burnley in lockdown, then he (Klopp) accused me of lying and then just had a right ------- pop at me. I’ve got no interest at speaking to someone who’s ------- arrogant. So I do my best not to speak to him... My God, German ----, fuck me.”
Klopp was critical of Coote on more than one occasion, including in October 2020, when Coote was the VAR for the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, in which Virgil van Dijk sustained a season-ending knee injury after a strong challenge by Jordan Pickford.
Thiago Alcantara was also on the receiving end of a horror challenge from Richarlison, for which the Brazilian received a red card, but luckily Liverpool's Spanish former midfielder escaped without an injury.
"It was not the first time and it won't be the last, but both challenges were difficult to accept," Klopp said. "Michael Oliver is an excellent referee but he had the best view. Then VAR [Coote] forgets the rules."
Klopp was also critical of Coote's performance when he refereed a 0-0 draw between Liverpool and Burnley just months earlier, in July 2020. Liverpool was on a 24-match winning run at Anfield heading into the game and had been confirmed as Premier League champions several weeks prior to the match.
Andy Robertson scored for the Reds in the first half but Jay Rodriguez equalized for Burnley in the second half, and Klopp was critical of Coote's performance in a post-match TV interview.
“The referee let lots of challenges go so it was clear that if the ball comes into the box it was dangerous," Klopp said. "We were angry with the referee but we have to criticize ourselves first for not finishing the game."
In light of David Coote’s suspension after a foul-mouthed video emerged of the referee criticising Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp, we take a look at his history with the club.
Coote has been suspended with immediate effect pending a full investigation after a video surfaced from 2020, where it appears he calls Klopp an “absolute c***.”
This is the latest flashpoint in what feels like an endless list when it comes to Coote and Liverpool, and here we recount some of his most contentious moments.
Prepare to feel your blood boil as you relive these!
Divock Origi foul denied – 2019In Liverpool’s title-winning season, Coote was in the VAR booth for the trip to Old Trafford.
That game saw Marcus Rashford’s opener stand despite a VAR check on a foul from Victor Lindelof on Divock Origi in the buildup. Klopp described it after the game as “a goal which shows all the problems with VAR.”
The match ended 1-1.
Andy Robertson’s furious protest – 2020In the same season, Coote was the on-field referee when Andy Robertson felt he should have been awarded a clear penalty after a foul in the box during a 1-1 draw with Burnley at Anfield.
His claim was waved away by Coote, and there was a heated exchange between Robertson and the referee after the final whistle, with Klopp and Trent Alexander-Arnold also joining in. The Scot said:
“How that’s not a penalty on me…What’s the point in having [VAR]? What is the point in having you?
“Wait until you see it. Wait until you go in and see that and you’ll go, ‘How the f*** is that not a penalty?’.
“You didn’t see f***ing anything. You didn’t see anything the whole game apart from f***ing booking him in the last minute.
“F*** me. What’s the point of having you in the middle? What’s the point of having you? Eh? F*** me, honestly.”
‘FORGOT’ to check Pickford tackle on Van Dijk – 2020This is the most famous incident of them all.
Coote was the VAR in the Merseyside derby at Goodison during the lockdown season. That day, Jordan Pickford’s late, reckless challenge forced Virgil van Dijk to miss the rest of the campaign.
We all expected immediate action for the Everton goalkeeper, but it was later reported that Coote FORGOT to check for a red card.
Michael Oliver, referee that day, later admitted that he should have sent Pickford off, as he and Coote “got sucked too much” into checking for the offside.
This match also saw Jordan Henderson be denied a dramatic last-gasp winner by an incredibly marginal offside call – and pictures failed to concretely show the reason. The game finished 2-2.
How the list goes beyond this is telling…
That handball vs. Arsenal – 2023[embedded content]
[embedded content]Anyone with eyes could see that Martin Odegaard turned into a basketball player at Anfield last season, and yet Coote – with countless angles and opportunities for replays – did not.
The Arsenal captain made a clear movement towards the ball with his hand, but neither the referee, Chris Kavanagh, nor Coote in the VAR room gave Klopp’s side a penalty.
Coote assessed: “For me, Lee (Betts)… he’s falling down, he’s moving his arms towards him, so it’s check complete for me.”
Howard Webb later admitted that “this one did not reach the right outcome.” That’s putting it lightly!
An independent panel, separately, adjudged 4-1 in favour that a penalty should have been award.
Ultimately, the game finished 1-1 in what was a decisive game in the title race.
Salah dragged down but NO foul?! – 2024Now we arrive at the most recent incident, against Aston Villa – one of the rare occasions the Reds won in spite of Coote’s incompetence.
Mohamed Salah was closing in on the goal and the last defender took him out, denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Coote, the on-field referee, immediately waved it away despite being just metres away from the incident.
Darwin Nunez went on to score, thankfully for Liverpool, but it is alarming that Coote did not see it as a foul or an incident worthy of punishing Leon Bailey with a red card.
Another farcical chapter in the book of run-ins with Coote.