The Premier League’s refereeing body has acknowledged the existence of footage allegedly depicting David Coote sniffing white powder. This development follows the launch of investigations by Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) and the Football Association into Coote, prompted by comments he made about Jürgen Klopp in a video that recently surfaced online.
On Wednesday evening, The Sun published a video claiming to show Coote sniffing white powder during the European Championship in Germany, where he was officiating. PGMOL has stated that it is “aware of the allegations” and is treating them with the utmost seriousness, marking the latest controversy involving the Premier League referee. The footage has not been verified by The Guardian and is currently under investigation by PGMOL.
A PGMOL spokesperson informed The Sun: “David Coote remains suspended pending a full investigation. His welfare is of paramount importance to us, and we are dedicated to providing him with the necessary support during this period. We are unable to comment further at this time.” The Sun reported that the video was captured on 6 July, a day after the Euro 2024 quarter-final match between Spain and host Germany, for which Coote served as a supporting VAR official.
Coote became the focus of an investigation by PGMOL after clips emerged showing the 42-year-old referring to the former Liverpool manager as “arrogant” and a “German cunt.” He was subsequently suspended by the professional body pending a full investigation, and the FA announced it was also examining the matter. UEFA suspended Coote “until further notice” following the initial video’s release.
The FA has the authority to investigate remarks made in private settings, and it is understood that part of its investigation will focus on whether comments about Klopp’s nationality constitute an aggravated breach of its misconduct rules. Howard Webb, PGMOL’s chief refereeing officer, stated on Tuesday that the organization is taking the incident “very seriously.”
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