Premier League Referee David Coote Suspended Amid Allegations of Abuse

Premier League referee David Coote has been suspended pending an investigation into allegations of abuse directed at Liverpool and manager Jürgen Klopp after a video circulated online appearing to show him making derogatory comments.

Coote, one of the Premier League's most-experienced officials, has been accused of using profanity to describe Klopp and referring to a 1-1 draw between Liverpool and Burnley in July 2020, during which Klopp had criticized him for failing to give fouls to Liverpool players. The authenticity of the video has not been verified, but the suspension is immediate and will be treated as a breach of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) code of conduct. Coote will not be involved in any Nations League games this week or next.

The PGMOL has launched a full investigation into the allegations, which will be conducted in conjunction with the English Football Association (FA). Liverpool are aware of the video but are not commenting at this stage. Coote, 42, has been a Premier League referee since 2018 and has also served as a lead VAR official. His future in top-flight refereeing appears uncertain if the video is verified, and he will be unavailable for selection as a referee or VAR during the investigation.

The suspension of David Coote follows a pattern of recent incidents involving Premier League referees being scrutinized for their conduct, including controversies surrounding VAR decisions. The focus now shifts to the outcome of the investigation, which will determine Coote's future in professional refereeing.