Enzo Maresca has become the first Premier League manager to publicly condemn suspended referee David Coote.
Coote saw himself removed from duty by the referees’ association, PGMOL, last week after a video was leaked showing him make offensive remarks about Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool, referring to Klopp as a “German c**” and branding Liverpool “s***”.
The Football Association has launched its own investigation into the X-rated outburst in which Coote, 42, also labelled former Kop messiah Klopp “f****** arrogant”.
Today, as Chelsea’s boss Maresca returns to his former battleground at Leicester, he weighed in on the controversy that has shaken the Premier League.
He said: “I have seen it. These kind of things, not any reaction – whether it is a player, a manager, is a referee, a normal human being not involved in football – the reaction is not the best one because there are things that are not correct to say.
“It doesn’t matter that he is a referee. If I, as a manager, say the same it is wrong. If you, as a journalist, say the same it is something wrong.
“So no matter that he is a referee. Any human being that says these kind of things it is not good.”
In yet another bombshell, Coote was filmed allegedly snorting a white powder.
The scandal comes at a time when confidence in match officials has nose-dived, but despite this, PGMOL remains steadfast in its support for Coote, saying that his well-being “continues to be of the utmost importance to us”.
Despite the backlash over the refereeing controversy, Maresca responded with a single emphatic word when questioned if he still has trust in referees: “Absolutely.”