FA charges referee Coote in relation to comments on Klopp

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Brentford v Aston Villa - Brentford Community Stadium, London, Britain - December 17, 2023 Referee David Coote shows a red card to Brentford's Ben Mee after checking the VAR monitor Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra REUTERS

UPDATED Jun 17, 2025, 09:41 PM

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Premier League referee David Coote was charged by the Football Association on Tuesday in relation to comments he made about former Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp in a video that went viral last year.

Coote had been sacked by English soccer referees' body PGMOL after a video, recorded in July 2020, circulated on social media showing the official allegedly abusing Klopp and after a full investigation, his position was deemed untenable.

"It's alleged that the referee acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words contrary to FA Rule E3.1," the FA said in a statement.

"It's further alleged that this constitutes an 'Aggravated Breach', which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference – whether express or implied – to nationality."

Rule E3 deals with improper conduct that brings the game into disrepute, including insulting words or behaviour, while it also covers actions that question the integrity of match officials.

In November, the FA said they were also investigating allegations that Coote had discussed booking a player the day before a game with a friend, which the referee denied.

"No charges have been issued in relation to allegations of gambling misconduct against David Coote, which were also fully investigated," the FA added.

Europe's soccer governing body also said Coote was banned from any UEFA refereeing activity until June 2026. The 42-year-old had apologised for his actions.

The Sun also published a video which the newspaper said showed Coote appearing to snort white powder during his time working as a match official at Euro 2024. REUTERS

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