FA investigates English Premier League referee David Coote over ...

Updated

Nov 13, 2024, 09:11 PM

Published

Nov 13, 2024, 03:47 AM

LONDON – The Football Association (FA) is investigating after a video that was posted on social media appeared to show English Premier League referee David Coote making derogatory comments about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp.

Referees body the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) announced on Nov 11 that Coote, 42, had been suspended pending a full investigation.

The FA, meanwhile, is also looking at Coote’s comments. It is understood that part of its investigation will centre on whether Coote’s reference to Klopp’s nationality constitutes an aggravated breach of its misconduct rules.

“We are aware of the matter, and we are investigating it,” an FA spokesperson said on Nov 12.

According to the clip, Coote, who refereed Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Aston Villa on Nov 9, said that Klopp was “arrogant” and even used offensive language in reference to him being German.

He appeared to be speaking with friends when he made those remarks, answering them when he was asked about his experiences dealing with Klopp.

In a second video, Coote said: “Just to be clear, that last video can’t go ­anywhere, seriously.”

Howard Webb, PGMOL’s chief refereeing officer, said his organisation was taking the incident “very seriously”.

He added that the ongoing investigation prevented him from making any more comments.

Retired referee Mike Dean, now a TV pundit, believes that the incident will have a damaging effect on officials throughout English football.

In an interview with Sky Sports, the 56-year-old said: “As referees, you can’t put yourself in that position, no matter what you do.

“You can say things away from camera, you can talk among your friends and things and colleagues, but you can’t let somebody video this and then hope that it’s never going to come out.”

The video also appears to refer to a match that Coote officiated between Liverpool and Burnley in July 2020, which finished 1-1. The Reds had by then already been crowned league champions.

Klopp criticised Coote after the match, saying the referee had been too lenient in his treatment of Burnley challenges.

The German left Liverpool at the end of last season after nearly nine years in charge at Anfield.

Klopp was also critical of Coote over an incident in a match against Arsenal last season, in which the Gunners’ Norwegian midfielder Martin Odegaard’s hand made contact with the ball.

Coote, as the video assistant referee (VAR), did not advise on-field official Chris Kavanagh to review the incident.

Coote was also the VAR in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park in October 2020, when Toffees goalkeeper Jordan Pickford inflicted a season-ending injury on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.

Pickford was not sent off for the challenge and did not face retrospective action because, under FA rules, that can only happen if an incident was not seen either at the time or when it was reviewed by the VAR. AFP