Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has broken his silence on referee David Coote’s controversial remarks about Jurgen Klopp and the club.
Coote has been suspended by the PGMOL after footage – which appears to be several years old showed him calling then Reds boss Klopp a ‘German ****’ and ‘f***ing arrogant’.
The PGMOL has launched an investigation and is looking into the possibility that it is a deep-fake or made using artificial intelligence.
However, Coote, who refereed in Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Aston Villa on Saturday, has now admitted it is genuine, according to the Daily Mirror.
Former Reds striker, Fowler, who played 369 times for the club across two spells, has had his say on the controversy.
David Coote has reportedly admitted that footage of him calling Jurgen Klopp a ‘German ****’ in a foul-mouted tirade about Liverpool is genuine
Coote has been suspended by the PGMOL after the footage on Monday afternoon
Robbie Fowler posted on X: ‘That David coote vid can’t be real…. surely’, with a shocked emoji
He posted on X: ‘That David coote vid can’t be real…. surely’, with a shocked emoji.
The Mirror’s report claims it is believed that Coote does not recall the contents of the entire conversation.
The PGMOL confirmed Coote has been suspended with immediate effect in a statement on Monday.
It read: ‘David Coote has been suspended with immediate effect pending a full investigation. PGMOL will be making no further comment until that process is complete.’
The astonishing video, which has gone viral on social media, appears to show Coote looking worse for wear as he delivers an explicit rant about the Merseyside club.
‘Liverpool were s***,’ said the man alleged to be Coote in the video. ‘(Klopp is a) ****, absolute ****. Aside from having a right pop at me when I was refereeing them against Burnley in lockdown, he accused me of lying and then had a right f***ing pop of me.
‘I have no interest in speaking to someone who is f***ing arrogant. So I do my best not to speak to him. (James) Milner is all right, I get on with him. You can see me there with a ‘mask’ on. But, my god, German ****, f*** me.’
In a second video, the man added: ‘Just to be clear, that f***ing last video cannot go anywhere, seriously.’
The footage appears to be taken after Coote officiated Liverpool’s controversial 1-1 draw against Burnley in 2020, when Andy Robertson was left furious at the Premier League referee
Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp clashing with Coote during a league match back in 2022
The game the man alleged to be Coote is referring to in the stunning video was Liverpool’s controversial 1-1 draw with Burnley back in 2020.
In the match which saw Liverpool drop points for the first time at home that season, Andy Robertson was caught on camera angrily confronting Coote in an expletive-laden rant after not being awarded a penalty.
‘How’s that not a penalty is a disgrace,; the Scotsman fumed after the game. ‘How the f*** is that not a penalty? You didn’t see f****** anything.
‘You didn’t see anything the whole game apart from f****** booking them in the last minute. F*** me. What’s the point in having you in the middle? What’s the point in having you? F*** me. Honestly.’
Coote has been a Premier League referee since 2018 and has since had plenty of run-ins with Klopp, who left Anfield at the end of last campaign.
Midway through last season during Arsenal’s clash with Liverpool in December, Klopp vented his fury at Coote and the rest of the match officials after his side were denied a penalty despite Martin Odegaard appearing to handle the ball inside the 18-yard box.
