Premier League referee David Coote has been suspended from duty by the PGMOL with immediate effect, pending an investigation into a video on social media which appears to show him making offensive remarks about Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp.
The 42-year-old refereed the Reds’ last match, a 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Anfield. It was a game filled with refereeing controversy. He waved play on after Mohamed Salah was brought down when clean through on the Villa goal. There was also a penalty claim for the visitors which former Liverpool striker Michael Owen believed should have been given.
Left-back Andy Robertson played the full match on Saturday and was not involved in any of the questionable decisions. However, he was on the receiving end of a questionable challenge during the first Reds match Coote refereed and was not happy with the outcome.
He gave the official both barrels after the game.
It was a clash with Burnley which was held behind closed doors at Anfield in July 2020. The game ended 1-1, making it the only home league game Liverpool didn’t win in their Premier League title campaign of 2019/20.
In the 83rd minute, Robertson tried to get to a loose ball in the Clarets’ penalty box. Burnley’s Johann Gudmundsson cleared the danger but took the Reds’ Scottish defender down in the process. Coote was unmoved by the penalty appeals and play continued.
Robertson approached the official at full time and did not mince his words when giving him his opinion of the spot kick decision. “How’s that not a penalty is a disgrace,” he said (via Empire of the Kop). “How the f*** is that not a penalty?
