Former Premier League referee David Coote has been handed an eight-week suspension by the Football Association (FA) for making derogatory comments about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in a clip that referenced the German’s nationality.
Naija News reports that David Coote, 42, sacked by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in December 2024, admitted to the “aggravated breach” of FA Rule E3.2.
The clip, filmed around July 2020 shortly after the UK’s first Covid-19 lockdown, was leaked online in November 2024.
According to the FA’s written reasons, Coote expressed “deep remorse” and accepted his remarks were “crass and inappropriate.” In addition to the suspension, he must complete a mandatory face-to-face education programme.
Coote was initially suspended from duty in November 2024 after the footage surfaced. He was dismissed a month later following an investigation.
In February 2025, UEFA banned him from officiating in European competitions until 30 June 2026 after a separate video appeared showing him sniffing a white powder while on duty at Euro 2024.
In January, Coote revealed he was gay, saying he had concealed his sexuality during his career due to fear of abuse.
The former referee told the FA he believed he was speaking in a “private” setting when making the Klopp comments, but accepted the video was “likely to cause hurt and reputational damage” once made public.
Earlier this year, he was cleared of gambling misconduct allegations after claims he discussed issuing a yellow card before a match.
Coote said the pandemic and events since had significantly affected his mental health. He did not attend the FA hearing.
The post FA Bans Ex-Premier League Referee David Coote For Eight Weeks Over Klopp Comments appeared first on Naija News.