PGMOL Emphasizes Coote’s Welfare Amid Ongoing Investigations

The refereeing body PGMOL has stated that the ongoing well-being of Premier League official David Coote, who was suspended on 11 November, is “important to us” as its inquiry into his conduct proceeds. Mr. Coote was suspended last week pending an investigation into a video that surfaced, in which the 42-year-old seemingly made disparaging remarks about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. The Football Association has also initiated its own investigation into the video. While the BBC has not independently verified this footage, the PGMOL is treating it as genuine. In a statement, the PGMOL declared: “We are following an internal process and taking the allegations into David Coote’s conduct very seriously as part of our ongoing full and thorough investigation.” The body added, “Whilst David remains suspended, his welfare continues to be important to us and he is aware of the support network available to him.” Uefa, the governing body for European football, has similarly commenced its own investigation and has suspended Mr. Coote. Following the release of the initial video, the Sun newspaper published pictures it claims were captured during this summer’s European Championship. These images purportedly depict Coote inhaling a white powder using a rolled-up US bank note. Coote served as an official at the Euros and has been officiating Premier League matches since 2018. The BBC has also not independently verified these photographs and has sought comment from Coote.