The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the governing body for referees in English football, has stated it is taking recent allegations concerning Premier League referee David Coote “very seriously.” Coote, who has officiated at the highest levels of English football, is suspended from duty pending a full investigation.
The allegations arose following the release of a video earlier this week, in which the 42-year-old appeared to make disparaging comments about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. The incident has caused significant concern within the footballing community.
Adding to the controversy, The Sun published images on Wednesday allegedly showing Coote sniffing a white powder through a rolled-up US dollar bill. According to the newspaper, the photos were taken during this summer’s European Championship, where Coote was officiating in his official capacity.
In a statement, a spokesperson for PGMOL confirmed they are “aware of the allegations and are taking them very seriously.” The statement also emphasized PGMOL’s commitment to supporting Coote through this challenging period, noting, “David’s welfare continues to be of utmost importance to us, and we are committed to providing him with the ongoing necessary support he needs.”
The Sun reported that images of Coote engaging in this alleged activity had been sent to a friend multiple times throughout the tournament. The BBC, however, has not independently verified the authenticity of either the video or the images and has reached out to Coote for comment.
In response to the situation, European football’s governing body, UEFA, also confirmed Coote’s suspension. On Tuesday, UEFA announced he had been withdrawn from an international match commitment, and a spokesperson for the UEFA Referees Committee clarified the decision on Wednesday, saying, “David Coote was suspended until further notice on 11 November in advance of the upcoming round of UEFA matches, following awareness of his inappropriate behavior.”
Both PGMOL and UEFA are working to determine the appropriate next steps in light of these developments. The investigation is ongoing, and officials from both organizations have declined to provide further comments at this stage.
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