David Coote's run-ins with Jurgen Klopp after alleged foul-mouthed rant leaked online
Previous run-ins between former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Premier League referee David Coote have now returned to the fore after a video was leaked online
David Coote and Jurgen Klopp’s past interactions have been brought into focus after Premier League referee Coote allegedly called Liverpool "s***" and Jurgen Klopp a "German c***" in a leaked video.
Coote, who was in charge of a match as recently as Saturday, has been suspended after the video was shared online. He took charge of Liverpool - now managed by Arne Slot - as they beat Aston Villa at Anfield to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table.
"David Coote has been suspended with immediate effect pending a full investigation,” a PGMOL statement on the matter read. “PGMOL will be making no further comment until that process is complete." The FA are also investigating, while Liverpool have been contacted for comment.
Coote has taken charge of eight Liverpool matches in all competitions, with all but the most recent coming when Klopp was in charge of the Merseyside club, while he was on VAR and fourth official duties for Reds games on other occasions. Mirror Football takes a closer look at some of the more prominent run-ins.
2023-24 - Liverpool vs Arsenal
Last season’s meeting between Liverpool and Arsenal featured one particularly notable flashpoint, with the home side denied a penalty after Martin Odegaard handled the ball in the Arsenal area. Chris Kavanagh was the on-field referee, with Coote on VAR duty, and neither deemed it worthy of a penalty.
"Yes, I have seen it," Klopp responded after the game. "I am pretty sure someone will come to explain it to me why it was not a handball but I don't know how?
"I don't say that the ref can see it because I don't know where he was in that moment. But how can a guy in an office see that and not come to the conclusion that maybe, possibly, it could be worth the referee having another look?"
PGMOL chief Howard Webb later said Liverpool should have been given a spot-kick. "The VAR looked at it and thought it was a case of Odegaard trying to make himself smaller by bringing the arm back towards the body," he said on Match Officials Mic’d Up.
"That's the element that's important here - whether it's instinctive or deliberate he gets a huge advantage by bringing the arm back towards the ball, and the feedback we got back was very clear; the game expects a penalty, in this situation. I would agree, and as such I think this was one that didn't reach the right outcome."
2019-20 - Liverpool vs Burnley
The first time Coote refereed Klopp’s Liverpool in July 2020, a 1-1 draw with Burnley ensured the Reds missed out on a 100 percent home record for the season. Andy Robertson got in trouble for a rant at the referee, while Klopp himself was vocal after the game.
Klopp claimed Coote “let a lot of challenges go” in the game, though he also lamented his own team’s wastefulness. Robertson, however, was furious with the ref after he deemed a Johann Berg Gudmundsson challenge not worthy of a penalty kick.
"How’s that not a penalty is a disgrace,” Robertson said in a rant caught by the TV cameras. “How the f*** is that not a penalty? You didn’t see f****** anything.
"You didn’t see anything the whole game apart from f****** booking them in the last minute. F*** me. What’s the point in having you in the middle? What’s the point in having you? F*** me. Honestly."
2020-21 - Everton vs Liverpool
At the start of the 2020-21 season, Coote was placed on VAR duty for the Merseyside Derby. It was a fiery game, with Everton’s Richarlison sent off for a foul on Thiago, but two other incidents left Klopp upset and had Liverpool pushing for an investigation.
First was a challenge by Jordan Pickford on Virgil van Dijk, with the Liverpool centre-back suffering an ACL injury and missing the remainder of the season. Van Dijk was offside at the time of the incident, so a penalty couldn’t have been awarded but VAR official Coote also decided the goalkeeper didn’t deserve a red card for dangerous play.
Then, right at the death, a tight offside call saw the Reds denied a dramatic winner. The VAR check was a lengthy one, and Klopp wasn’t happy after the game.
"We can't change this now,” Klopp said when the extent of Van Dijk’s injury was confirmed. “I spoke the day after and it's hard for us as Virgil is our boy. It is difficult to take because the referee doesn't see it.
"Michael Oliver is an excellent referee but he had the best view. Then VAR forgets the rules.
“As a human, I don't want to see Everton players punished, but we all agree if you do something wrong, you have to deal with consequences. Right now there are only two people suffering with the consequences and they are Virgil and Thiago."
2022-23 - Man City vs Liverpool
Coote took charge of a Carabao Cup game between Liverpool and City in December 2022, with Pep Guardiola ’s side ending up 3-2 victors. Klopp took issue after the game, but singled out the lack of VAR more than the on-field ref’s calls.
“If we have VAR, the refs are used to VAR and all of a sudden you tell them no... it looked like in a couple of situations they were waiting for or thinking VAR was still there but there was nothing,” Klopp said. “There were a couple of offside decisions where everybody in the stadium was convinced it was offside, I don’t know if it was in the end or not, and we couldn’t watch it back.
“It makes sense if you play a competition and everywhere has VAR then why shouldn’t you? I understand in earlier rounds when it’s maybe not possible at all levels. But it’s City against Liverpool and I think all the technical things are here, so why shouldn’t we use it?”
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