David Coote, a Premier League referee, has been suspended by Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) following the circulation of videos where he allegedly made offensive comments about Liverpool and former manager Jurgen Klopp.
In a statement released on Monday, PGMOL confirmed, “David Coote has been suspended with immediate effect pending a full investigation,” adding that no further comments would be made until the investigation concludes.
In the video, Coote reportedly referred to Liverpool in derogatory terms and used an offensive slur when mentioning Klopp.
Coote’s comments appeared to reference a July 2020 match between Liverpool and Burnley, which ended in a 1-1 draw and saw Klopp expressing frustration with Coote’s officiating.
Coote claimed that Klopp had sharply criticized him following the match during the COVID-19 lockdown.
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