Former Liverpool star names 'scary' decision he saw David Coote make at Anfield

Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge has weighed in on the now infamous David Coote video, and he thinks the official's refereeing career should be over if the footage, as it is expected to, turns out to be genuine.

Coote was suspended by the PGMOL pending a full investigation on Monday and has reportedly confessed that the video is real, amid strange suggestions online that the footage may have been AI-generated.

In the video, which is believed to have been recorded during the Covid era of Premier League football, the man who is alleged to be Coote describes Jurgen Klopp as a 'German c---' and describes a Liverpool performance as 's---'.

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Coote took charge of a Liverpool match as recently as Saturday, when he was the man in the middle for the Premier League game between the Reds and Aston Villa, and was criticized by some for his display during the game.

Aldridge referenced an incident in the build-up to Liverpool's opening goal, when Mohamed Salah appeared to be brought down by Leon Bailey before Darwin Nunez rounded the goalkeeper and scored.

Coote did not retrospectively punish Bailey as he did not view the incident as a foul, which Aldridge couldn't believe. Writing for the Liverpool Echo, Aldrige said: "Even before the footage emerged, there were question marks against some of Coote’s decision-making in Liverpool’s win over Aston Villa on Saturday.

"It’s scary that he seems to not think it was a foul from Bailey on Salah on Saturday. Surely it should be a sending off? He’s the last man. Because he played advantage, do the rules say he can’t go back and send him off? I’m not sure. But for him to gesture it wasn’t even a foul is scary.

"Every referee would say differently. If that really would have been his on-field decision, then it’s questionable whether he is fit to referee in the Premier League.

"Every other referee would say it’s a foul, and that it warrants a booking or a sending off. To say it’s not even a foul, it’s ludicrous. Everyone in the world could see that it was a foul."

Aldridge added: "If it all turns out to be true, in my opinion he’s bang to rights and can never referee ever again. Not a chance. His authority and neutrality would be seriously damaged."