Former Premier League referee lost his job over incident
Coote cleared of any gambling misconduct by FA
The former Premier League referee David Coote has been charged by the Football Association over remarks made about Jürgen Klopp that triggered the official’s fall from grace.
A video in which Coote was filmed criticising Klopp, including calling him a “German cunt”, were posted online in November and led to the 42-year-old being suspended from his role as a top-flight official before further revelations led to him being sacked the following month. The FA has now charged Coote over the remarks, with the claim that he “acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words” in breach of FA Rule E3.1.
The alleged reference to Klopp’s nationality means Coote will be charged with an “aggravated” offence under FA rules and, if found guilty, is likely to be punished with a financial sanction. Coote did, however, avoid any charges relating to claims that he agreed to issue a yellow card to a player before a match. Coote denied that allegation, describing it as “false and defamatory”. The FA will not pursue any charges of gambling misconduct against him.
