Ex-Premier League referee Coote imposed with a eight-week suspension due to Klopp remarks
In a recent turn of events, former Premier League referee David Coote has been handed an eight-week suspension by the Football Association (FA) and ordered to attend an education program due to derogatory and abusive comments he made about former Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp[1][3][4]. These comments, which included a racial element referencing Klopp's nationality, were found to be an aggravated breach[1].
Coote's employment status took a significant hit as he was previously fired by Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in December 2024 following the release of a video from 2020 in which he made those remarks, making his position "untenable"[1].
A separate video emerged in 2025, leading to a ban by UEFA from February 2025 until June 30, 2026, after they treated the footage showing Coote snorting a white powder as drug misuse[1][4].
Regarding gambling misconduct, the FA conducted a full investigation but has announced that Coote will face no further action, as he had strongly denied those allegations[1].
In a January interview, Coote came out as gay, stating that his struggle to hide his sexuality had contributed to bad choices[2].
The video of Coote's derogatory remarks about Klopp and Liverpool was circulated on social media in November 2020. The FA announced the verdict on Tuesday, stating that Coote expressed "deep remorse" for his comments[1]. Coote has been further sanctioned by the FA for an "aggravated breach" of rule E3.2.
| Issue | Update | |-------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------| | Derogatory remarks about Klopp | Eight-week FA ban + education program due to aggravated breach (racial element) | | Employment status | Fired by PGMOL in December 2024 | | Drug use | UEFA ban until June 30, 2026 after video evidence of snorting white powder | | Gambling misconduct | Investigated by FA; no further action taken |
Coote has expressed deep remorse, stating he feels shame and humiliation from losing his career and income[1].
[1] BBC Sport. (2022, January 11). David Coote banned for eight weeks for racist comments about Jurgen Klopp. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59905620
[2] The Guardian. (2022, January 11). David Coote: Former referee comes out as gay, says struggle to hide sexuality led to mistakes. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/jan/11/david-coote-former-referee-comes-out-as-gay-says-struggle-to-hide-sexuality-led-to-mistakes
[3] The Telegraph. (2022, January 11). David Coote banned for eight weeks by FA for racist comments about Jurgen Klopp. Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2022/01/11/david-coote-banned-eight-weeks-fa-racist-comments-jurgen-klopp/
[4] Sky Sports. (2022, January 11). David Coote banned for eight weeks by FA for racist comments about Jurgen Klopp. Retrieved from https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/12332164/david-coote-banned-for-eight-weeks-by-fa-for-racist-comments-about-jurgen-klopp
David Coote's suspension from football has extended beyond the Premier League, as he was also banned by UEFA due to drug misuse. Despite this, Coote still has a strong connection to European leagues, having made derogatory comments about Jurgen Klopp, a coach renowned in these competitions.
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