PGMOL suspends referee David Coote amid investigation over bizarre Liverpool rant and Jurgen Klopp attack

Premier League referee David Coote has been suspended by the PGMOL following the emergence of a video on social media in which the 42-year-old official made denigratory remarks about Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp. In a video that circulated on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, November 11, Coote appeared to call Liverpool "shit".

According to Mirror, the video was filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coote was asked what he thought about an unspecified Liverpool match. Coote responded:

"Liverpool were shit."

The man then asked Coote for his opinion on Jurgen Klopp, to which he responded:

"C*nt. Absolute c*nt."

"Aside from having a right pop at me when I refereed them against Burnley in lockdown. He accused me of lying and then just had a right f***ing pop at me. I’ve got no interest in speaking to someone who’s f***ing arrogant. I do my best not to speak to him. (James) Milner’s alright. I get on with Milner."

Coote then held up a still which appeared to show him on the touchline with Klopp during Liverpool’s 7-2 defeat against Aston Villa in October 2020. The 42-year-old was the fourth official in the match. He said:

"You can see me there with mask on. Social distancing — 10 metres apart. But my God, German c***, f*** me."

David Coote also stressed that the videos in which he made derogatory remarks about Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp should not be shared on social media.

After the video gained traction on social media, PGMOL suspended Coote with immediate effect and are investigating the matter. As per Sky Sports, Coote denied the authenticity of the video.

PGMOL confirmed the suspension as they released a statement that reads:

"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’s last outing as an official was Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday, November 9, in the Premier League.

Liverpool legend Michael Owen says he’s astonished that VAR didn’t give Aston Villa a penalty in their recent Premier League clash

Former Liverpool player Michael Owen has given his two cents on VAR’s decision to deny Aston Villa a penalty in their Premier League clash with Liverpool. Owen claimed it was a "stonewall penalty" and was surprised that VAR didn’t award Unai Emery’s men a spot kick for the alleged foul.

In the 57th minute of the game, Aston Villa won a free-kick. After Villa delivered a cross from the resulting free-kick, Liverpool defender Conor Bradley seemed to pull down Pau Torres inside the eighteen-yard box. However, David Coote waved play on and his decision was unchanged after VAR reviewed the incident.

After the match, Michael Owen expressed his surprise that Villa weren’t awarded a penalty. He told Premier League Productions (via the Mirror):

"It’s a penalty, you can’t do that. There’s just a blatant pull, Pau Torres is there at the front post, gets dragged out of that area with a shirt pull. If the ball goes to the back post and floats over everybody, then I think turn a blind to that, didn’t affect the play. That is a blatant pull. I’m astonished, once that went to VAR, astonished they didn’t give a penalty."

"I think that’s a stonewall penalty, personally. I don’t think there’s any debate in that, he literally pulls him out. It doesn’t matter if he’s pulling him for one minute or one second, he drags him out of it."