The Football Association has initiated its own inquiry into the conduct of referee David Coote following comments he made about Jürgen Klopp in a video that emerged online this week.
Coote is already under investigation by the referees' body, Professional Game Match Officials Ltd, after clips revealed the 42-year-old referring to the former Liverpool manager as 'arrogant' and a 'German cunt'. As a football participant, Coote is also subject to the FA's rules, and the investigation is expected to focus on a possible breach of rule E3, which addresses behavior that tarnishes the reputation of the sport. Participants can face additional charges for aggravated breaches if found to have used derogatory language or actions related to various personal attributes, including nationality.
An FA spokesperson stated: 'We are aware of the matter, and we are investigating it.' In the online clips posted on Monday, Coote seems to be conversing with friends when asked about his interactions with Klopp as a match official. Although the remarks were made privately—in another video, Coote explicitly asks viewers: 'Just to be clear, that last video can't go anywhere, seriously'—the FA has the authority to charge individuals if the content becomes public. In a 2020 disciplinary case involving Dele, an independent regulatory commission determined that the then Spurs player 'could and should have realized that once material is distributed, the author no longer has control over its further dissemination.'
Coote has been on PGMOL's select list of referees since 2018 and officiated the 2023 Carabao Cup final. In the video, he mentions a Liverpool match against Burnley, believed to be one from July 2020 during Project Restart. Klopp confronted Coote at the end of the game, which was played without spectators, arguing that he had failed to award a penalty to Liverpool for a foul on Andy Robertson.
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