Former Premier League referee David Coote, who was dismissed from his role last December, has been handed an eight-week suspension by the Football Association and ordered to take part in an educational programme following offensive comments he made about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Coote lost his position with Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) after a video, recorded in 2020, surfaced on social media last November. In the footage, he made derogatory remarks about Klopp and Liverpool, including a reference to Klopp’s German heritage. The FA determined that the incident amounted to an “aggravated breach” of rule E3.2.
According to the FA’s written explanation, made public on Tuesday, Coote showed “deep remorse” for his words, conceding that they were “crass and inappropriate.”
The former referee was charged in June, though the FA confirmed at the time that he would not face further proceedings over separate allegations of gambling misconduct, which he had firmly denied. Those claims were said to have been fully examined.
In addition to the controversy over his comments, another video appeared in November showing Coote using white powder, allegedly filmed during Euro 2024. Earlier in the year, UEFA imposed a ban on him from officiating in any capacity until June 2026.
In a January interview, Coote publicly came out as gay, revealing that the pressure of concealing his sexuality had played a role in some of the poor decisions he had made in his career.
What you should know
David Coote, a former Premier League referee, was sacked and later suspended by the FA for making derogatory comments about Jurgen Klopp, with his actions deemed an aggravated breach due to a reference to Klopp’s nationality.
He also faced unrelated controversies, including a UEFA ban until 2026 and a leaked video of alleged drug use.
