David Coote was sacked in November after a video surfaced on social media and the governing body of the European game have now handed out further punishment to the former Premier League official
Ex-Premier League referee David Coote has been handed a year-long UEFA ban from officiating.
The 42-year-old was sacked in November by the PGMOL after a video of him slamming Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp surfaced on social media. A further video of the official allegedly snorting white powder was then shared.
And UEFA have now come down hard on Coote, who now looks unlikely to referee in the immediate future.
A statement from football’s European governing body read: “Mr David Coote Incidents and sanction: General principles of conduct, Art. 11(1) DR, Violating the basic rules of decent conduct, Art. 11(2)(b) DR, Bringing the sport of football, and UEFA in particular, into disrepute, Art. 11(2)(d) DR, Ban from exercising any UEFA refereeing activity until 30 June 2026.”
Coote issued a statement in the aftermath of the videos being released and apologised for his actions. It read: “This has been one of the most difficult periods of my life. I take full responsibility for my actions, which fell way below what was expected of me.
“I am truly sorry for any offence caused by my actions and for the negative spotlight it put on the game that I love. I hope people will understand that they were private moments taken during very low times in my life. They do not reflect who I am today or what I think.
“My focus now is on continuing to prioritise my mental health and wellbeing. I hope that my experiences, both on and off the field, can be utilised in football at some point in the future.
“Finally, I want to thank everyone who has supported me recently, in particular my family, friends, former colleagues, PGMOL and Howard Webb, and countless people across football.
“Special thanks also to the many strangers who have reached out with words of encouragement and support, I have appreciated it more than I can properly express.”
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