Former Premier League referee David Coote has been given an eight-week suspension by the Football Association (FA) and required to attend a face-to-face education program due to offensive comments he made about Liverpool's former manager Jürgen Klopp. The comments, captured in videos from July 2020 and widely circulated on social media, included Coote using an expletive for Liverpool and a derogatory term referencing Klopp's nationality. Coote described Klopp as "arrogant" and accused the German manager of unfairly accusing him of lying after a match.

The FA found Coote guilty of an "aggravated breach" of their rules under rule E3.2, citing the offensive language as well as the inappropriate reference to Klopp's German nationality. Coote admitted to acting "in an improper manner" and using "abusive and/or insulting words."^[1][2][3]

Following an investigation and hearing, an independent regulatory commission imposed the suspension and education mandate. Coote was initially suspended and subsequently dismissed from his role by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in December 2024, with the organization stating his position had become "untenable" after the videos surfaced.

In addition to the Klopp comments, Coote was also investigated regarding allegations of discussing potential yellow card decisions with a fan, but the FA cleared him of charges in that matter. Separately, UEFA imposed a ban on Coote until June 2026 due to another incident involving alleged cocaine use during the 2024 European Championship.^[1][2]

Shamed referee David Coote finally discovers FA punishment for abusive Jurgen Klopp rant	Sacked ref Coote given ban by FA for Klopp video	David Coote banned over video slamming former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp

The sanctions and Coote's dismissal have generated significant media attention. During the disciplinary proceedings, Coote expressed deep regret, acknowledging his lost career, income, and the personal humiliation caused by the media coverage of his misconduct.


PP