Soccer

Referee David Coote sacked after Klopp comments and second video allegations

Coote also removed from duty at the time by Uefa and is being separately investigated the FA

Referee David Coote's employment has been terminated with immediate effect. Photograph: Nigel French/PA
Referee David Coote's employment has been terminated with immediate effect. Photograph: Nigel French/PA
Mon Dec 09 2024 - 16:52

The Premier League referee David Coote has been sacked after videos revealed him making foul-mouthed comments about Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool and allegedly showed him sniffing what appeared to be white powder.

Professional Game Match Officials Ltd said within hours of the first video’s emergence on November 11th that Coote had been suspended pending an investigation and on Monday it said his position had been deemed untenable. Coote was also removed from duty at the time by Uefa and is being separately investigated the Football Association over his comments about Klopp.

The FA has also been investigating allegations that Coote discussed giving a yellow card before a game. The allegations centre on an exchange of messages before and after Coote refereed the Championship game between Leeds and West Brom in October 2019, in which he booked the Leeds defender Ezgjan Alioski. Coote described those allegations as “false and defamatory”, saying: “Whatever issues I may have had in my personal life they have never affected my decision-making on the field.”

In a statement PGMOL said on Monday: “Following the conclusion of a thorough investigation into David Coote’s conduct, his employment with PGMOL has been terminated today with immediate effect. David Coote’s actions were found to be in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position deemed untenable.

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“Supporting David Coote continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare. David Coote has a right to appeal the decision to terminate his employment.”

The video allegedly showing Coote sniffing what appeared to be white powder was published by the Sun two days after his comments about Klopp came to light. The Guardian has been unable to independently verify the footage but the PGMOL said then that it was taking the allegations “very seriously” and that it was committed to “providing him with the ongoing necessary support he needs through this period”.

Coote strongly criticises Klopp in footage that appears to date from the 2020-21 season. It includes an expletive-filled passage and he refers to the then Liverpool manager as “arrogant”. Coote also makes reference to Klopp’s nationality and describes a performance by Liverpool in unflattering terms.

The second video was said by the Sun to date from this summer’s European Championship, at which Coote was an official.

Coote refereed his first Premier League game in 2018 and took charge of the 2023 Carabao Cup final.

He and the other man shown in the first video also imply that they are breaching Covid regulations in sitting almost shoulder to shoulder, Coote saying sarcastically: “We’re two metres apart.” - Guardian