Howard Webb has stressed the PGMOL are taking referee David Coote’s X-rated attack on Jurgen Klopp ‘very seriously’.
The 42-year-old has been suspended by referee body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) after a leaked video saw him label the ex-Liverpool boss as a ‘German c***’.
In the clip, Coote, who has been a top-flight official since 2018, also referred to Klopp as ‘f****** arrogant’.
Both the PGMOL and the FA have launched their own investigations over the footage.
Webb broke his silence over the shocking video during his appearance on Sky Sports’ Mic’d Up on Tuesday night.
Addressing the viral minute-long clip, the PGMOL chief said: “We became aware of a video that was being circulated on social media that we are taking very seriously.
“We’ve instigated a full investigation. One of our referees, David Coote, has been suspended with immediate effect pending the outcome of that investigation.
“There’s not much more I can say at this stage until we’ve worked through that investigation.”
In the video, Coote was pressed for his thoughts on Klopp, to which he remarked: “(Klopp is a) c***, absolute c***.
“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****** pop of me.
“I have no interest in speaking to someone who is f****** 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 c***, f*** me.”
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talkSPORT understands that Coote has accepted that the video is genuine.
It remains unclear as to why Coote exploded on Klopp, though he has been criticised by the ex-Borussia Dortmund boss while being on VAR duty.
The clip, which was widely circulated on social media on Monday, appears to refer to a Premier League match that Coote officiated between Liverpool and Burnley in July 2020, which ended 1-1.
That match was the first time Liverpool had dropped points at Anfield all season, with the hosts believing they should have been awarded a penalty.
Klopp also indirectly criticised Coote when he was on VAR duty for Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal last season, which saw Martin Odegaard escape giving away a penalty for handling the ball.
Klopp said of Coote’s role: “How can a guy in an office see that and not come to the conclusion that maybe, possibly it could be worth the referee having another look?”
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And in October 2020, the 42-year-old was the VAR official in the Merseyside derby which saw Virgil van Dijk suffer an ACL injury, which was accidentally inflicted by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
The England international escaped any form of punishment, which led Klopp to state VAR officials ‘forget the rules’.
Coote is regarded as one of England’s top referees, and officiated Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Anfield last weekend.
And ex-Reds midfielder Danny Murphy believes that encounter will ultimately prove to be the last of his Premier League career.
