Former Premier League referee, David Coote has apologised to Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp for making derogatory comments about the Reds and the German.
Coote was sacked by referees' body PGMOL last December after an investigation into his conduct was concluded.
In a series of leaked videos, the 42-year-old was filmed making derogatory comments about Liverpool and Klopp.
He was seen calling Liverpool 's**t' and Klopp an 'absolute c**t' in one of the leaked videos.
Speaking for the first time since his sacking, Coote admitted he deeply regretted his actions and sought to apologise for any offence caused.
"I recognise that they fell well short of standards that are expected of a top level referee and I deeply regret saying what I said," Coote told The Sun.
"That video has been with somebody for more than four years.
"I'd forgotten it existed and I was sitting waiting for my car to be serviced and then received a call to say that it had surfaced on social media and I was devastated.
"I deeply regret that I found myself in that position. The comments are not reflective of my views of any of the individuals concerned or my wider views in general."
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