Football: Former English Premier League Referee Charged
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
The former English Premier League referee, David Coote, who is 42 years old, has now been charged by the English Football Association (FA) over the derogatory comments that he made about the former German and Liverpool FC manager, Jurgen Klopp, in a video that was leaked on social media.
Coote was suspended in November 2024 and dismissed a month later by the English Premier League referees' body, Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), after a "thorough investigation" into the matter.
The charge, under rule E3.1, alleges that he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and that his reference to Klopp's nationality in the video constituted an "aggravated" breach under rule E3.2.
However, Coote has been cleared of any gambling misconduct, which he denied and claimed was "false and defamatory", following allegations that he had discussed issuing a yellow card to a player prior to a match.
In February 2025, UEFA banned Coote from officiating at European football competitions until 30 June 2026. This followed a video of him sniffing a white powder when he was on duty at Euro 2024.
He admitted that he had developed a drug habit but had now overcome it through therapy.
If found guilty of the FA charge, Coote could be fined and may face other sporting sanctions, including a mandatory education programme.
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘
