Coote was sacked by PGMOL in December 2024 for his comments about the ex-Liverpool manager
Former Premier League referee David Coote has been given an eight-week suspension by the English Football Association (FA) for making abusive remarks about ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
The ban covers “all football and football-related activity”. Coote has also been instructed to attend a face-to-face education programme.
The FA determined that Coote’s language, in which he referred to Klopp as a “German c***” and “f****** arrogant”, constituted an aggravated breach due to its reference to nationality.
Coote made the comments in a 2020 video that resurfaced on social media last year, and after acknowledging them he was accordingly disciplined.
The referee was sacked by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in December 2024. In February, Uefa imposed a separate ban extending until 30 June 2026.
In its written reasons for the verdict, the FA said Coote had expressed deep remorse for his actions, describing his own words as “crass, inappropriate and unworthy” of his role.
The former referee did not attend the hearing, but he said he understood his remarks about Klopp were “likely to cause hurt and reputational damage”.
Earlier this year, Coote revealed he was gay and said emotional strain both from the pandemic and due to years of hiding his sexuality had contributed to his behaviour in 2020.
“My sexuality isn’t the only reason that led me to be in that position,” Coote had said. “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.
“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.”
