David Coote was caught on video using abusive language about Jürgen Klopp, calling him a “German c***” and saying he was “f****** arrogant.” He later accepted that these remarks were “crass, inappropriate and unworthy” of his role as a referee and apologised, saying they did not reflect his true professional respect for Klopp.

What Coote Said About Klopp

  • In a video recorded around summer 2020 but leaked online in November 2024, Coote described it as “s***” to be fourth official at a Liverpool match.
  • In the same clip he referred to Klopp as a “German c***” and called him “f****** arrogant,” comments which the FA later classified as an aggravated breach because they referenced Klopp’s nationality.

Fallout And Official Response

  • After the clip surfaced, Coote was suspended and then dismissed from his role by PGMOL, who said his position had become “untenable.”
  • The FA gave him an eight‑week ban and ordered him to attend an in‑person education programme over the abusive comments in the video.

Coote’s Own Explanation

  • In written evidence to the disciplinary commission, Coote admitted the words he used about Klopp were “crass, inappropriate and unworthy” of someone in his position.
  • He also stressed that the comments did not reflect his “deep professional respect” for Klopp and said he felt significant remorse for the episode.

TL;DR: In a leaked video, David Coote called Klopp a “German c***” and “f****** arrogant,” then later said those were crass, unworthy comments, apologised, and insisted he actually holds Klopp in high professional regard.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.