Ex-PL referee David Coote charged by English FA over comments about Jurgen Klopp
Coote was sacked last December by Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) after a video circulated on social media the previous month of him making derogatory comments about Klopp in July 2020.
One of those remarks referenced Klopp's nationality, and the FA said that constituted an alleged 'aggravated breach' under its rules.
The FA said Coote would face no further action in regard to separate allegations of gambling misconduct, which he had strenuously denied. The FA said those allegations had been fully investigated.
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PGMOL said in confirming Coote's dismissal last December that his position had become 'untenable' after the video surfaced.
In it, Coote is heard saying it had been 's***' to be fourth official at a Liverpool match in the summer of 2020, describing Klopp as a 'German c***'. He also said Klopp was 'f****** arrogant'.
Coote was banned by European football's governing body UEFA in February until June 30, 2026 after a different video emerged of him snorting a white powder through a bank note while in Germany for last summer's Euros.
In January, Coote came out as gay in an interview with The Sun and said that a lifelong struggle to hide his sexuality had contributed to the rant about Klopp, and to his drug use.
'My sexuality isn't the only reason that led me to be in that position. But I'm not telling an authentic story if I don't say that I'm gay and that I've had real struggles with hiding that,' he said.
'I hid my emotions as a young ref and I hid my sexuality as well — a good quality as a referee but a terrible quality as a human being. And that's led me to a whole course of behaviours.'
The FA has not shared a date by which Coote must respond to the charge.
Coote has not been charged in relation to messages exchanged with a Leeds fan concerning the issuing of a yellow card in 2019.
As the Klopp charge is an alleged case of discrimination, the PA news agency understands an independent regulatory commission will deal with the matter, and impose sanctions as it sees fit if Coote accepts the charge or it is found proven.
Coote declined to comment when contacted via a spokesperson.
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