David Coote overturned 5 VAR decisions in Liverpool matches including handball incident

Premier League referee David Coote has been suspended pending a full investigation after a video emerged on social media.

It appeared to show him making offensive comments about Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool. Coote has been involved in multiple controversial incidents in Reds matches over the years. His failure to award Liverpool a penalty in a draw with Burnley led Andy Robertson to unleash an expletive-heavy rant in his direction. Klopp then accused him of forgetting the rules after Jordan Pickford launched a season-ending challenge on Virgil van Dijk, when Coote was the Video Assistant Referee.

When it comes to Liverpool in the Premier League, the 42-year-old official has far more experience from Stockley Park than on the pitch. Coote has refereed just three league games for the Reds, where he has been on VAR duty for 13 of them. In his role as the latter, the controversial ref has instigated five overturns following video review.

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Before the conspiracy theorists start their engines in excitement, three of the quintet went in favor of Liverpool. Here’s a closer look at the five VAR overturns which were recommended by Coote in Premier League matches for the Reds.

Manchester United 1-1 Liverpool, October 2019

Liverpool fans wished for Coote to intervene when the home side opened the scoring, as Divock Origi appeared to be fouled in the build up to the goal. He did get involved when Sadio Mane put the ball in the Manchester United net though, advising referee Martin Atkinson that the Senegalese forward had controlled the ball with his hand.

Everton 2-2 Liverpool, October 2020

The Pickford moment was not the only controversy from the Goodison Park derby of 2020/21. Jordan Henderson had what looked to be a winning goal disallowed in the last minute thanks to Mane being adjudged to be offside.

Liverpool 2-0 Everton, October 2023

Referee Craig Pawson initially waved away claims for a penalty at the Kop end after Blues’ defender Michael Keane handled the ball in the box. Coote advised the ref to review the incident on the monitor, he gave the spot kick and Mohamed Salah buried it (before adding another goal late on).

Everton 2-0 Liverpool, April 2024

Maybe the PGMOL should keep Coote away from the Merseyside derby? Regardless of that, he cancelled a penalty that had been awarded to Everton, ruling that Dominic Calvert-Lewin had strayed offside in the build-up. Liverpool was so poor that night that the reprieve made no difference in any case,

Liverpool 2-0 Wolves, May 2024

A delicious irony in light of what has since emerged is that Coote made Klopp’s final game in charge easier for Liverpool. Nelson Semedo was sent off following a video review after launching a challenge that was deemed serious foul play on Alexis Mac Allister.