Referee scandal: David Coote fired after insulting Klopp!

Referee scandal: David Coote fired after insulting Klopp!

David Coote, a Premier League referee, has been sacked by referee organization PGMOL with immediate effect. This came after the release of a video showing him making offensive comments about Jürgen Klopp, the former Liverpool manager. According to media reports, Coote called Klopp “f***ing arrogant” and also used derogatory language. The video caused a stir on social networks around a month ago and is apparently related to a game between Liverpool and Burnley in 2020, in which Klopp criticized Coote's refereeing decisions. PGMOL stated that Coote had breached the terms of his employment contract, which rendered his employment untenable, as laola1.at reports.

Investigations and further allegations

The dismissal follows Coote's previous suspension, which was imposed on November 11. There were also allegations of drug abuse: Another video allegedly shows him sniffing a white powder. This video is from the aftermath of a Euro 2024 quarter-final match where Coote acted as video assistant. PGMOL stressed that Coote has the opportunity to appeal the decision to terminate his employment. Coote is also suspected of breaching Football Association (FA) betting fraud rules. This is about an alleged discussion about a booking given to Ezgjan Alioski during a game in 2019, like nytimes.com reported.

Coote, who has been in the Premier League since 2018 and has taken charge of 112 games, has also expressed that personal issues never influenced his decisions on the pitch. As the PGMOL said, the integrity of the game is upheld and the ongoing investigation into Coote has layered allegations that could potentially lead to legal consequences in the future.