Ref Coote won’t appeal contract termination
David Coote will not appeal against the termination of his contract by referees’ body PGMOL, PA reports.
Coote was sacked earlier this month after the emergence of a video in which he made derogatory remarks about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp.
Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said that a thorough investigation had concluded he was “in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position deemed untenable”.
“Supporting David Coote continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare,” PGMOL’s statement on December 9 added.
Coote had the right to appeal against the decision but PA understands the Nottinghamshire referee has decided not to.
The video which triggered PGMOL’s investigation into Coote’s conduct first came to public attention on November 11.
In it, Coote is asked for his views on a Liverpool match where he has just been fourth official, and describes them as “s***”.
He then describes Klopp as a “c***”, and, asked why he felt that way, the referee says the German had “a right pop at me when I reffed them against Burnley in lockdown” and had accused him of lying.
“I have got no interest in speaking to someone who’s f****** arrogant, so I do my best not to speak to him,” Coote said.
Later in the video, he again refers to Klopp, this time as a “German c***”.
The Football Association opened its own investigation into that video, understood to be centred on that last comment and whether Coote’s reference to Klopp’s nationality constituted an aggravated breach of its misconduct rules.
The investigation by PGMOL which led to Coote’s contract being terminated is also understood to have looked at another video which appeared to show Coote snorting a white powder, purportedly during Euro 2024 where he was one of the assistant VARs for the tournament.
European football’s governing body UEFA also appointed an ethics investigator to look into the matter.
PA