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LONDON: The Football Association is investigating after a video was posted on social media appearing to show Premier League referee David Coote making derogatory comments about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp.
Referees body Professional Game Match Officials Ltd. announced on Monday that Coote, 42, had been suspended pending a full investigation.
The Football Association is also looking at Coote’s comments. It is understood part of its investigation will center on whether Coote’s reference to Klopp’s nationality constitutes an aggravated breach of its misconduct rules.
“We are aware of the matter, and we are investigating it,” an FA spokesman said on Tuesday.
According to the clip, Coote, who refereed Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Aston Villa on Saturday, said Klopp was “arrogant” and used offensive language.
Retired referee Mike Dean, now a TV pundit, believes the incident will have a damaging effect on officials throughout English football.
In an interview with Sky Sports, the 56-year-old said: “As referees you can’t put yourself in that position no matter what you do.
“You can say things away from camera, you can talk among your friends and things and colleagues, but you can’t let somebody video this and then hope that it’s never going to come out.”
The video appears to refer to a match that Coote officiated between Liverpool and Burnley in July 2020, which finished 1-1. Liverpool had already been crowned champions.
Klopp criticized Coote after the match, saying the referee had been too lenient in his treatment of Burnley challenges.
Klopp left Liverpool at the end of last season after nearly nine years in charge at Anfield.
The German was also critical of Coote over an incident in a match against Arsenal last season in which Gunners midfielder Martin Odegaard’s hand made contact with the ball.
Coote, as VAR, did not advise on-field official Chris Kavanagh to review the incident.
Coote was also the VAR in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park in October 2020 when Toffees goalkeeper Jordan Pickford inflicted a season-ending injury on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.
Pickford was not sent off for the challenge and did not face retrospective action because, under FA rules, that can only happen if an incident was not seen either at the time or when it was reviewed by VAR.

PARIS: French soccer star Wissam Ben Yedder received a suspended sentence of two years in prison on Tuesday after his trial last month in France for sexually assaulting a woman, one of his lawyers told The Associated Press.
The prosecutor requested a jail sentence of two years, six months, including 18 months suspended.
Lawyer Marie Roumiantseva said Ben Yedder, who was accused of sexual assault while intoxicated, was ordered to pay compensation of 5,000 euros ($5,300) to the victim. The court in the southern city of Nice also imposed on Ben Yedder a duty to follow treatment.
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Frank Michel, said during the trial that the victim was in a state of shock and asked for 25,000 euros in damages.
Ben Yedder was charged after a woman filed a lawsuit against him in September. He can appeal the ruling.
The 34-year-old player, a prolific striker who has also played for the national team, was briefly detained then released after the incident in his car on the French Riviera. He was arrested at his home later that night after he first refused to stop his car.
The court also ordered the suspension of Ben Yedder’s driving license for six months.
After his arrest, Ben Yedder — who has since started alcohol detox and therapy — admitted he drove while under the influence. He said during the trial he was so drunk he has no recollection of any kind of sexual assault.
Ben Yedder has been without a club since his contract with Monaco expired at the end of last season.
He scored 16 goals with three assists in the French league last season to help Monaco finish second behind Paris Saint-Germain. In five seasons with Monaco, he scored 118 times in 201 appearances in all competitions to become the club’s second-highest scorer behind retired Argentine striker Delio Onnis (223).
Ben Yedder has 19 caps for France, the last of which came in June 2022.
In a separate legal case last year, Ben Yedder was charged with rape, attempted rape and sexual assault over another alleged incident in the south of France.