Former Premier League Referee David Coote Suspended Over Offensive Comments About Jurgen Klopp
Former Premier League referee David Coote has been given an eight-week suspension by the Football Association (FA) after admitting to making offensive remarks about ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in a leaked video. The comments, which referenced Klopp’s nationality, were deemed an “aggravated breach” of FA Rule E3.2.
The clip was reportedly recorded in July 2020, shortly after the UK’s first Covid-19 lockdown, but only surfaced online in November 2024. Coote, 42, expressed “deep remorse,” admitting the remarks were “crass and inappropriate.” Alongside the suspension, he is required to complete a face-to-face education programme.
Following the video’s leak, Coote was initially suspended from officiating duties in November 2024 and officially dismissed by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) a month later.
This is not the only controversy to hit the former referee. In February 2025, UEFA banned him from officiating European matches until June 2026 after another video emerged allegedly showing him sniffing a white powder while on duty at Euro 2024.
Coote also made headlines in January when he publicly came out as gay, revealing he had hidden his sexuality during his career due to fear of abuse.
Speaking to the FA, Coote claimed he believed he was in a private setting when making the Klopp remarks but accepted that the clip’s release would cause “hurt and reputational damage.” He also shared that the pandemic and subsequent events had taken a toll on his mental health.
Earlier this year, he was cleared of separate gambling misconduct allegations after being accused of discussing issuing a yellow card before a match. Coote did not attend the FA hearing regarding the Klopp comments.
