Former Premier League referee David Coote handed eight-week FA ban over Klopp remarks

Ex-Premier League official David Coote has been suspended for eight weeks by the Football Association after making social media comments about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, Sport360NG reports.

The 42-year-old, who was dismissed by the Premier League’s referees’ body (PGMOL) in December 2024, was found guilty of an “aggravated breach” of FA Rule E3.2 due to a reference to Klopp’s nationality in a video recorded around July 2020. The footage resurfaced online in November 2024.

Coote admitted the charge and, according to the FA’s written reasons, expressed “deep remorse” and accepted that his words were “crass and inappropriate.” In addition to the ban, he will be required to complete a face-to-face education programme.

The former top-flight referee was initially suspended in November 2024 when the clip appeared online, showing him making derogatory comments about Klopp and Liverpool. His dismissal followed a PGMOL investigation into the matter.

Coote has also faced disciplinary action from Uefa, receiving a suspension from officiating in European competitions until June 2026 after a separate video emerged showing him sniffing a white powder while on duty at Euro 2024.

Earlier this year, Coote publicly came out as gay, saying he had concealed his sexuality throughout his career due to fears of abuse.

Although he did not attend the FA hearing, Coote said he believed he was speaking in a private setting when making the remarks about Klopp. He acknowledged the footage, recorded shortly after the first Covid-19 lockdown, was likely to cause offence and harm his reputation once made public.

In June, he was cleared of any wrongdoing in a separate gambling-related case linked to comments about a possible yellow card before a match. Coote has said the Covid pandemic and subsequent years had taken a significant toll on his mental health.