Premier League referee David Coote has had his contract terminated by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) following an investigation into his conduct.
The 42-year-old was suspended by the refereeing body on November 11 after a video emerged on social media of the 42-year-old making derisory comments about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
The video showed Coote calling Klopp “f***ing arrogant” and a “German c***”.
A PGMOL statement confirming Coote’s dismissal on Monday said: “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.
“Supporting David Coote continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare.”
Coote has the right to appeal the decision to terminate his employment.
On November 14, The Sun published a separate video which it claimed showed Coote sniffing white powder through a rolled-up American bank note.
The Sun reported that the video was from July 6, one day after the Euro 2024 quarter-final between France and Portugal in Hamburg where Coote was the support VAR. The Athletic has been unable to verify the video nor confirm Coote’s identity. PGMOL said it was taking the new allegations “very seriously”.
Coote remains the subject of a separate Football Association (FA) investigation over an alleged betting breach.
The allegations, first reported by The Sun, relate to a booking received by Leeds United’s Ezgjan Alioski from Coote during their Championship game against West Bromwich Albion in October 2019.
It’s claimed Coote discussed the possibility of issuing Alioski a yellow card with a friend before the game.
Coote released a statement in response to “strongly refute” what he called “false and defamatory allegations”.
He added: “Whatever issues I may have had in my personal life they have never affected my decision-making on the field. I have always held the integrity of the game in the highest regard, refereeing matches impartially and to the best of my ability.”
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European football’s governing body UEFA suspended Coote from refereeing in its competitions on the same day as the PGMOL.
The PGMOL’s investigation was first launched when a video emerged appearing to show Coote and another man discussing a Premier League match between Liverpool and Burnley during the Covid-disrupted 2019-20 season.
Coote, who was the fourth official for the fixture, called Liverpool’s performance “s***”, adding of Klopp: “He accused me of lying and then just had a right f***ing pop at me.
“I’ve got no interest in speaking to someone who’s f***ing arrogant. I do my best not to speak to him. You can see me there with mask on. Social distancing — 10 metres apart. But my God, German c***, f*** me.”
The reference to Klopp’s nationality in a derogatory context could potentially result in a separate sanction by the FA if Coote is found to have breached their rules on discrimination.
Coote’s most recent game as a Premier League referee was in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa on November 9.
The Nottinghamshire-born official took charge of his first top-flight game in 2017-18 and was named a Select One referee, the highest level in the UK, for the following campaign.
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The David Coote videos have just made the debate around refereeing decisions so much more tedious
(Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
