Referees are often not in the news. There is not much fanfare when it comes to referees. However, when they do hit the headlines, it's never for anything good. David Coote is the latest example for being in the headlines for nothing good.
A video was leaked in which Coote openingly made derogatory comments in regards to Liverpool and their former manager, Jurgen Klopp. He has since been suspended from officiating further matches.
An FA statement read, "We are aware of the matter and we are investigating it." A PGMOL statement 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."
A reference to Klopp's nationality was made in the video, which could lead to an aggravated breach of the FA's rules. Coote is understood to have accepted the viral video in which he appears is genuine. However, it's believed he doesn't recall the content of the discussion, recorded several years ago.
Referring to a second match in which he was acting as fourth official, he continued: "I've got no interest in speaking to someone who's f****** arrogant. So I do my best not to speak to him. James Milner's alright.
"You can see me there [in a picture on his phone] with a mask on. Got to careful right, we're social distancing, we're two metres apart. But my God, German c***. F*** me."
A body language expert has picked apart a video of Coote's exchange with Klopp during Liverpool's match against Burnley from 2020.
Body language expert, Darren Stanton, told OLBG: "Jurgen Klopp is an emotive person who is easy to read from a body language perspective. His interaction with David Coote after Liverpool played Burnley shows a man that is in disbelief and astonishment.
"He’s saying to Coote ‘I can’t believe your decision! I can’t believe what is going on!’ His hands are on his head which in this context is him being shocked. He is surprised and is in disbelief. Throwing his arms in the air and then his altercation with the referee. Klopp has got the belief that Coote has it in for him and is being biased in his decisions.
"Klopp is incredibly angry and frustrated at the treatment he’s getting. He thinks he’s not getting the fair side of the stick which we can see in his gestures from the dugout and on the pitch. Where he’s got his hands on his head, that’s a sign of him being overwhelmed and he wants the ground to swallow him up."
"Coote downplays the situation but he seems to be quite an arrogant man. He seems to know how to push Klopp’s buttons. Where Coote has got his hands on his hips, the more space we occupy with our bodies and spread our feet apart, the more important we feel we are in that situation. It’s something that you see celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez do.
"Coote does that gesture a lot. It can be contextual because people put their hands on their hips a lot but it seems to be that he is asserting his authority. You’ll notice this in quite a few situations. There is a clear division in this altercation between Klopp and Coote."
I don't know what he was thinking. Everyone should be aware that nothing disappears from the internet and/or social media. You would have to be naive not to know that. I have no sympathy for him. He chose to continue with it even though he knew it was being filmed. He dug his own grave and now he has to lie in it.