David Coote has responded to recent controversies surrounding his conduct, insisting that his personal issues have never interfered with his refereeing duties. Both the Football Association (FA) and UEFA have suspended the 42-year-old Premier League referee following a series of scandals.
Coote’s suspension followed the circulation of an old video in which he made an offensive remark about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, referring to him as a “German c***.” The referee found himself embroiled in a second scandal when a separate video surfaced, allegedly showing him snorting a white powder.
In response to the second video, UEFA swiftly suspended Coote on November 11th, ahead of the next round of UEFA fixtures, citing inappropriate behavior. Meanwhile, Coote has also faced allegations regarding his conduct during an October 2019 Championship match between Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion. In this instance, Coote is alleged to have discussed issuing a yellow card in a private conversation with an individual he met online, with the suggestion that they “back” a specific outcome for Leeds defender Ezgjan Alioski. The accusation against Coote states that he wrote, “I hope you backed as discussed,” in the exchange.
The FA has confirmed they are investigating these allegations “as a matter of urgency.” Coote, however, has denied any wrongdoing. In a statement, he acknowledged that a conversation took place but rejected the notion that it influenced his refereeing decisions.
“Whatever issues I may have had in my personal life, they have never affected my decision-making on the field,” Coote said. “I have always held the integrity of the game in the highest regard, refereeing matches impartially and to the best of my ability.”
The PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) has taken a firm stance, emphasizing that Coote remains suspended and stressing the need to thoroughly investigate the facts surrounding the new allegations. They reiterated their zero-tolerance policy regarding any breach of their Integrity Code of Conduct, which all match officials sign annually.
A PGMOL spokesperson said, “We need to establish the facts in light of these very serious allegations.” “David Coote remains suspended and subject to an ongoing disciplinary process by PGMOL, separate to the investigation by the FA.”
As Coote faces multiple investigations, the outcome of these proceedings remains uncertain. The FA and PGMOL have both pledged to take appropriate action if they find any breaches of conduct.
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