Barely a month after a leaked video surfaced, David Coote has been sacked by Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL).
The Premier League referee was seen in the video making derogatory remarks about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp. Following the video’s release, Coote was swiftly suspended by the English FA and UEFA as further investigations were carried out.
The PGMOL described the incident as a “serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract” and deemed Coote’s position “untenable.” He retains the right to appeal his dismissal.
In the leaked video, Coote referred to Klopp, the former Liverpool manager, as a “German c***” while discussing Liverpool’s fixture against Burnley in July 2020.
“He (Klopp) accused me of lying and then just had a right fing pop at me,” Coote said in the video. “I’ve got no interest in speaking to someone who’s fing arrogant. I do my best not to speak to him. You can see me there with (a) mask on, social distancing — 10 metres apart. But my God, German c***, f*** me.”
In his first public comment since the suspension, Coote, 42, stated that his personal life has never influenced his decisions on the pitch:
“I strongly refute these false and defamatory allegations,” Coote said in a statement. “Whatever issues I may have had in my personal life, they have never affected my decision-making on the field. I have always held the integrity of the game in the highest regard, refereeing matches impartially and to the best of my ability.”
This incident echoes a similar case in 2018 when Premier League referee Bobby Madley was sacked by the PGMOL for making offensive comments about disabled people.
