After making disparaging remarks about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in a video clip that made reference to the German’s nationality, former Premier League referee David Coote was given an eight-week suspension by the Football Association (FA).
David Coote, 42, was fired by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in December 2024 after he reportedly acknowledged committing a “aggravated breach” of FA Rule E3.2.
The video, which was shot in July 2020, right after the first Covid-19 lockdown in the UK, was posted online in November 2024.
The FA’s written reasons state that Coote acknowledged his comments were “crass and inappropriate” and showed “deep remorse.” In addition to the ban, he has to finish a required in-person course.
When the video first came to light in November 2024, Coote was placed on leave. A month later, after an investigation, he was fired.
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UEFA banned him from officiating in European events until June 30, 2026, in February 2025, when a different video surfaced that showed him snorting white substance while working at Euro 2024.
In January, Coote came out as gay, claiming that he had kept his sexual orientation a secret throughout his career out of fear of being abused.
When he made the remarks about Klopp, the former referee told the FA that he thought he was speaking in a “private” situation, but he acknowledged that the footage was “likely to cause hurt and reputational damage” once it was made public.
He was exonerated earlier this year of charges of gambling misconduct following allegations that he talked about giving out a yellow card prior to a game.
According to Coote, the epidemic and its aftermath had a major impact on his mental state. He didn’t show up for the FA hearing.
