Body language expert Darren Stanton has claimed suspended Premier League referee David Coote’s mannerisms show him to be “quite an arrogant man.”
On Monday, Coote was suspended after a video of him emerged on social media calling Liverpool “s***” and ex-Reds boss Jurgen Klopp a “German c***”. Then on Wednesday, days after he had been suspended by PGMOL, another video emerged of the Premier League official, this time appearing to show him snorting a line of a white substance, with the Sun claiming it was filmed while he was officiating at this summer’s Euros.
Now body language expert Stanton has weighed in on the drama between Klopp and Coote, who seem to hold each other in contempt. There have been multiple incidents that have seen the two face off on the touchline or in the centre circle, with one notable incident when Klopp lambasted the Premier League referee in 2020, after Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw against Burnley at Anfield.
During the game, Klopp was incensed his side were not awarded a penalty when a poor touch from then Clarets midfielder Johann Berg Gudmundsson saw him scythe down Andy Robertson inside the Burnley box, only for Coote to quickly wave away appeals from the Liverpool players.
Stanton said, via OLBG.com: “Jurgen Klopp is an emotive person who is easy to read from a body language perspective. His interaction with David Coote after Liverpool played Burnley shows a man that is in disbelief and astonishment.
(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“He’s saying to Coote ‘I can’t believe your decision! I can’t believe what is going on!’ His hands are on his head which in this context is him being shocked. He is surprised and is in disbelief. Throwing his arms in the air and then his altercation with the referee. Klopp has got the belief that Coote has it in for him and is being biased in his decisions.
“Klopp is incredibly angry and frustrated at the treatment he’s getting. He thinks he’s not getting the fair side of the stick which we can see in his gestures from the dugout and on the pitch. Where he’s got his hands on his head, that’s a sign of him being overwhelmed and he wants the ground to swallow him up.
(Image: 2020 Pool)
Stanton added: “Coote downplays the situation but he seems to be quite an arrogant man. He seems to know how to push Klopp’s buttons. Where Coote has got his hands on his hips, the more space we occupy with our bodies and spread our feet apart, the more important we feel we are in that situation. It’s something that you see celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez do.
“Coote does that gesture a lot. It can be contextual because people put their hands on their hips a lot but it seems to be that he is asserting his authority. You’ll notice this in quite a few situations. There is a clear division in this altercation between Klopp and Coote.”