PGMOL Responds to New Allegations Against David Coote with Seriousness

The referees’ body PGMOL has stated it is treating new allegations concerning Premier League official David Coote “very seriously.” Coote first officiated a Premier League game in 2018. Coote’s suspension from his position is ongoing, pending an investigation into a video that surfaced earlier this week. In this video, the 42-year-old individual reportedly made disparaging comments regarding former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. Uefa, the governing body for European football, has also initiated its own inquiry and suspended Coote. Furthermore, on Wednesday, the Sun newspaper released images it claims were captured during this summer’s European Championship, asserting they seemingly depict Coote inhaling a white powder using a rolled-up US bank note. Coote was present at the Euros, fulfilling his duties as a match official. A spokesperson for PGMOL issued a statement, saying: “We are aware of the allegations and are taking them very seriously.” The spokesperson added: “David Coote remains suspended pending a full investigation.” The statement concluded: “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 through this period. We are not in a position to comment further at this stage.” According to The Sun, the images featuring Coote were reportedly transmitted to a friend multiple times throughout the tournament. The BBC has not independently corroborated either the photographs or the video and has sought a statement from Coote. Uefa confirmed the initiation of an investigation into a potential breach of its disciplinary regulations, noting that an “ethics and disciplinary inspector appointed” has been assigned. The European governing body further stated that Coote was removed from an international assignment scheduled for this week and added: “The Uefa Referees Committee immediately suspended David Coote until further notice on 11 November – in advance of the upcoming round of Uefa matches – when it became aware of his inappropriate behaviour.”