Not Coote, David...
Recent video depicts referee David Coote calling former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp a “German c*nt,” claiming he was “arrogant”after officiating a 1-1 draw in the 2019–20 season.
On Monday afternoon, a video emerged from X, formerly Twitter, user “Josh97LFC” which put long term Premier League referee David Coote under immense scrutiny and immediate suspension by PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited), the governing body for English football.
What did Coote say?
Coote stated: “Aside from having a right pop at me when I reffed them against Burnley in lockdown, he accused me of lying… I’ve got no interest in speaking to someone who’s f*cking arrogant. So, I do my best not to speak to him… My God, German c*nt, f*ck me.”
He then goes on to criticise Liverpool fans as a whole: “Liverpool are all f*cking b*llends and we hate scousers.” In a second video he then emphasises that the prior one “cannot f*cking get anywhere.”
The Liverpool vs Burnley draw of 2019–20 ended a 24 game win streak at Anfield for the Reds. They were aiming to become the first club since Sunderland in 1891–92 season to have a flawless season at home. After Jay Rodriguez cancelled out an LFC opener, the referee seemed to disregard multiple poor challenges against Liverpool.
“This does not look good for the PGMOL”
This was not the only poor set of decisions made by Coote that in influenced Liverpool’s seasons. In the following season he did not give a red card to Everton’s Jordan Pickford following a serious challenge resulting in a torn ACL for Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk. In 2021-22 he did not give an obvious handball against Manchester City’s Rodri which would have resulted in a penalty and possible dropped points for the team – a title-deciding decision – as City finished only a point above Liverpool that year. The season after that, he was officiating Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal where linesman Constantine Hatzidakis elbowed Liverpool left back Andy Robertson. He recently refereed Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Aston Villa, where Leon Bailey should have been sent off for pulling down forward Mo Salah in a goalscoring position.
As usual, and as we have come to expect, this does not look good for the PGMOL. They are losing their ability to convince the league they are reliable, honest, and unbiased. Not just for LFC – for all teams. After initial denial, Coote acknowledged the reality of the video, making no further comment. The PGMOL have made no comment aside from announcing Coote’s suspension and pending investigation.
At least one player escaped criticism. As Coote remarked, “James Milner is alright.”
