Premier League official David Coote has been suspended with immediate effect over a video which allegedly shows him insulting Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp.
The clip, which emerged on social media on Monday, appears to show the referee discussing the Merseyside club while sitting on a sofa with a second individual.
In it, he appears to brand Liverpool “s***” and refers to their former manager Klopp as a “German c***“.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited group (PGMOL), which oversees Premier League matches, said in a statement: “David Coote has been suspended with immediate effect pending a full investigation. PGMOL will be making no further comment until that process is complete.”
Coote took charge of Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday, but the video appears to be older.
“Aside from having a right pop at me when I reffed them against Burnley in lockdown, he accused me of lying and then had a right pop at me,” the man alleged to be Coote says of Klopp in the clip.
“I’ve got no interest in speaking to someone who is f****** arrogant.“I do my best not to speak to him. [James] Milner’s alright.
“But my god, German c***, f*** me.”