'Don't sack Coote' - Richard Keys makes 'outrageous' Liverpool and 'worse' Jurgen Klopp claims

Disgraced former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys has urged Premier League referee David Coote to not be sacked after his foul-mouthed rant against Liverpool and their former boss Jurgen Klopp. And Keys, who now works for beIN SPORTS in Qatar after leaving Sky 13 years ago, has suggested many people have said "probably worse" about the former Reds boss.

Coote has been suspended pending an investigation by both the Professional Game Match Officials Limited and the Football Association after a video emerged on Monday where he calls Liverpool "s**t" and Klopp a "German c**t".

While Keys accepts there is now no chance of Coote again officiating in the Premier League, the 67-year-old former breakfast television presenter has called on the media to go easy on the referee while making reference to his own personal experience of being caught in the spotlight after an indiscretion on camera ultimately cost him his Sky Sports job.

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"Don’t sack David Coote," he said. "Coote has been a fool. Tick. I’ve been there. But there isn’t anybody reading this who hasn’t, least of all a raft of newspaper reporters, who always have plenty to say when something like this happens, but haven’t got a leg to stand on when it comes to outlandish behaviour and opinions they’ve shared in a pub with their mates.

"‘Ah, but we’re not refs’ they’ll argue. No. You’re not. You have more power. The power to bury people by shaping opinion, exactly as is happening now. Tick. I’ve been there.

"There isn’t a reporter working that hasn’t left a press conference and said exactly what Coote did about Klopp - probably worse. And likely every other manager working.

"Coote has been silly - that’s all. He should never ever have made the video that some sneaky weasel has leaked in order to cause him harm. Tick. I’ve been there too. We all have feelings. We all have likes and dislikes. Refs are no different. We’ve known for years that big clubs get decisions. There’s bias for you right there."

Writing on his personal blog, Keys dismissed claims of a conspiracy against Liverpool and instead pointed to Coote's lack of ability as an official.

"It was inevitable that the conspiracy memes would surface," he said. "Some of the incidents Coote missed in Liverpool games are outrageous. But we knew this. We said so at the time.

"That wasn’t as a result of bias - it’s because he isn’t a very good ref. And that’s not a revelation - his bosses clearly think that or he’d have been given bigger games during his six years in the PL.

"Clearly Coote can’t ref again in the PL, but to destroy his life over this would be wrong. Right now he’s in a very dark place. Tick. I’ve been there. I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t continue with his job in the EFL."