The Football Association has charged former Premier League referee David Coote in relation to his X-rated rant about ex-Liverpool coach, Jurgen Klopp.
Ex-Premier League official Coote was investigated by The Professional Game Match Officials Limited [PGMOL] following the leaked video.
The clip showed him calling the former Liverpool manager Klopp a ‘German c***’ and also branded him as arrogant.
Another video showed Coote snorting a white power and his contract was terminated by the PGMOL in December.
Coote was alleged to have discussed giving a yellow card before and after a fixture between Leeds United and West Brom.
He also allegedly tried to organise a ‘drugs party’ in messages sent before and during half-time of Tottenham vs Manchester City.
The FA have now announced their charges against the 42-year-old for his x-rated rant on Klopp in a statement, having he faces no charges in relation to betting misconduct allegations.
“David Coote has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to comments that he made about Jurgen Klopp in a video recorded around July 2020 which appeared on social media in November 2024.
“It’s alleged that the referee acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words contrary to FA Rule E3.1.
“It’s further alleged that this constitutes an ‘Aggravated Breach’, which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference – whether expressed or implied – to nationality.
“No charges have been issued in relation to allegations of gambling misconduct against David Coote, which were also fully investigated.”
In a tearful interview with The Sun in January, Coote came out as gay and spoke about hiding his sexuality.
“I felt a deep sense of shame during my teenage years in particular. I didn’t come out to my parents until I was 21. I didn’t come out to my friends until I was 25.
“My sexuality isn’t the only reason that led me to be in that position. But I’m not telling an authentic story if I don’t say that I’m gay, and that I’ve had real struggles dealing 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.”
Coote added: “I’ve had issues around my self-esteem — and that relates to my sexuality. I’m gay and I’ve struggled with feeling proud of being ‘me’ over a long period of time.
“I have received deeply unpleasant abuse during my career as a ref and to add my sexuality to that would have been really difficult.
“There’s a lot to be done throughout football and more widely in society with regard to discrimination.
“I didn’t want to be that person that was putting their head above the parapet to be shot at, given the abuse we all get as a referee in any event.”
Coote refereed 112 Premier League matches and also took charge of fixtures in the Championship, League One and League Two.
He was recently revealed to be working for delivery company Evri.
