Every call he makes in a Liverpool match becomes suspect.
In the theater of professional sport, where perception of fairness is as vital as fairness itself, Premier League referee David Coote has been suspended after a video emerged appearing to show him expressing contempt for Liverpool Football Club and its former manager Jurgen Klopp. The incident, unfolding against a backdrop of already-contested officiating decisions, touches something older than football — the question of whether those entrusted with impartial judgment can truly set aside their private feelings. PGMOL has launched a full investigation, while Coote denies the video is genuine, leaving the matter suspended, like the man himself, between allegation and verdict.
- A leaked video allegedly showing a Premier League referee calling Liverpool a 's*** club' and insulting Jurgen Klopp has ignited a firestorm across English football.
- The timing is combustible: Coote had officiated Liverpool's match just days before the footage surfaced, with several of his decisions already drawing sharp criticism.
- His past VAR rulings — including the unpunished Pickford challenge on Van Dijk and a missed handball by Odegaard against Liverpool — are now being re-examined through the lens of potential bias.
- Coote has flatly denied the video's authenticity, but a second clip in which the figure warns the footage 'cannot go anywhere' has only deepened public suspicion.
- PGMOL moved swiftly to suspend him and announce a full investigation, but with the video already viral, the reputational damage may outpace any institutional conclusion.
David Coote, a Premier League referee since 2018 and a member of England's elite Select Group of officials, was suspended on Monday after a video circulated on social media appearing to show him calling Liverpool a 's*** club' and using an offensive slur to describe former manager Jurgen Klopp. A second clip shows the same figure urging that the first recording 'cannot go anywhere, seriously.' Coote, 42, has denied the footage is genuine, and PGMOL announced his immediate suspension pending a full investigation.
The leak arrived at a particularly sensitive moment. Just days earlier, Coote had officiated Liverpool's 2-0 win over Aston Villa, during which he declined to award a foul when Leon Bailey made a last-man challenge on Mohamed Salah, and later waved away what appeared to be a shirt pull on Pau Torres in the penalty area. In the alleged video, Coote traces his animosity toward Klopp to a lockdown-era Burnley match, claiming the manager publicly accused him of lying — an affront he describes as unforgivable from someone so 'arrogant.'
The scrutiny now extends backward through Coote's career. He was the VAR official during the 2020 Merseyside derby when Jordan Pickford's challenge injured Virgil van Dijk without punishment, and again on VAR duty when Liverpool were denied a clear penalty after Martin Odegaard handled the ball against Arsenal. Whether these decisions reflected bias or honest judgment may never be definitively answered, but the question itself has become impossible to ignore.
With the footage already widely shared, the story has escaped any possibility of quiet containment. The investigation will determine Coote's professional fate, but the broader damage — to public trust in refereeing impartiality — is already in motion.
David Coote, a Premier League referee since 2018, was suspended on Monday pending investigation after a video surfaced on social media in which a man alleged to be him made derogatory remarks about Liverpool and its former manager Jurgen Klopp. The footage, which appears to have been recorded several years ago, shows the man calling Liverpool a "s*** club" and using an offensive slur to describe Klopp. In a second clip, the same figure warns that the first video "cannot go anywhere, seriously."
Coote, 42, has denied the video's authenticity and told the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) that it is not genuine. The governing body for Premier League referees announced his immediate suspension and said it would conduct a full investigation before making further statements. The timing of the leak is particularly sensitive: Coote officiated Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday, a match in which he made several controversial calls that drew scrutiny.
According to the alleged video, Coote's frustration with Klopp stemmed from an incident during a Burnley match in lockdown, when he claims the manager criticized him publicly and accused him of lying. In the footage, he says he has no interest in speaking to someone so "arrogant" and notes that he gets along with Liverpool player James Milner. The conversation appears casual and includes references to COVID-era social distancing protocols, suggesting it took place during the pandemic.
The suspension raises immediate questions about Coote's impartiality, particularly given his recent involvement in decisions affecting Liverpool. On Saturday, he did not award a foul when Aston Villa's Leon Bailey made a last-man challenge on Mohamed Salah just before Darwin Nunez scored. Later in the same match, he declined to give Villa a penalty despite what appeared to be a shirt tug by Conor Bradley on Pau Torres in the box. Coote's history with Liverpool extends further back: he was the VAR official during the October 2020 Merseyside derby when Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford's challenge injured Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, an incident that went unpunished. He was also on VAR duty in December when Liverpool were denied a clear penalty against Arsenal after Martin Odegaard handled the ball in the box, with no review initiated.
The video's emergence comes at a moment of broader scrutiny of refereeing standards in English football. Coote belongs to the Select Group of Referees, England's elite officiating tier, and has been a consistent presence in top-flight matches. His suspension now leaves open the possibility of dismissal, depending on what the PGMOL investigation concludes. The leaked footage has circulated widely across social media, making it difficult to contain the story or its reputational consequences, regardless of the investigation's outcome.
Notable Quotes
David Coote has been suspended with immediate effect pending a full investigation.— PGMOL statement
Coote vehemently denies the video is genuine and told PGMOL it is not authentic.— According to reporting
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why would someone release this video now, years after it was apparently recorded?
That's the question everyone's asking. The timing is suspicious—it drops right after a match where Coote made calls that hurt Liverpool. Whether that's coincidence or deliberate pressure, we don't know yet.
Do you think the video is real?
Coote says it isn't. But it's detailed, it's consistent with his voice and manner, and the context—the lockdown references, the specific grievance about Burnley—all checks out. PGMOL will have to determine that.
What's the bigger problem here—the words themselves, or what they suggest about his decisions?
Both. The words are damaging on their own. But if he genuinely holds those views, then every call he makes in a Liverpool match becomes suspect. That's the real crisis for the sport.
Has he made bad calls against Liverpool before?
He's been involved in several controversial moments—the van Dijk injury, the Arsenal penalty that wasn't reviewed. Whether those were errors or bias, nobody can say for certain. But now people will look at them differently.
What happens to him now?
The investigation will determine if the video is authentic and whether his conduct violates professional standards. If it's real, dismissal is possible. If it's not, his reputation is still damaged by the accusation alone.