The FA (Football Association of England) has launched an investigation into David Coote after the Premier League referee was suspended by refereeing body PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited), for allegedly offending Liverpool and their former manager Jürgen Klopp.
The video, which has not been verified for authenticity by Reuters, allegedly shows Coote making derogatory comments about the Anfield club and the German manager, who left the Premier League team at the end of last season.
“We are aware of the matter and are investigating,” the FA said in a statement.
A Premier League referee since 2018, Coote was suspended by the PGMOL “with immediate effect pending a full investigation” on Monday.
The 42-year-old referee has officiated six matches involving Liverpool, including his last game on Saturday when they beat Aston Villa 2-0.
This Wednesday (13), the British newspaper The Sun published images of a new video received anonymously, which allegedly shows Coote inhaling a white powder that appears to be cocaine.
According to the newspaper, the video would have been recorded on July 6, one day after the match between Spain and Germany in the Euro quarter-finals, in which Coote acted in the VAR.
