Premier League referee David Coote has reportedly insisted that alleged footage of him calling ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp a "German c***" is not genuine.
The 42-year-old has been suspended by the PGMOL pending a full investigation after two videos were leaked on social media, where a man purported to be Coote makes disparaging remarks about Liverpool and Klopp.
Seemingly filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the man alleged to be Coote and an unknown friend are discussing a Liverpool game where the former was the fourth official, thought to be their 7-2 loss to Aston Villa in 2020.
Coote allegedly says that "Liverpool were s***" before the man also slams Klopp, labelling him "f****** arrogant" and a "German c***" following an incident against Burnley the previous season.
In a second, shorter clip, Coote appears to say "that last f****** video can't go anywhere", before the unidentified male sitting next to him adds "He's a Premier League referee, let's not f****** ruin his career."
Not long after being made aware of the video circulating, the PGMOL suspended Coote, who according to The Mirror's Darren Lewis 'vehemently denies' any wrongdoing and claims that the video is not real.
Lewis adds that the PGMOL are consulting technology experts to determine the video's authenticity, and the possibility that the footage is either deepfake or AI-generated has not been ruled out.
Coote refereed Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday, which saw Arne Slot's men open up a five-point lead over Manchester City at the summit of the Premier League table.
