David Coote releases statement after opening up on incidents that ended referee career
David Coote releases statement after opening up on incidents that ended referee career
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David Coote has released a statement after taking part in an interview in which he opened up on the incidents that ended his career as a Premier League referee. Coote was initially suspended last October after footage emerged of him calling Liverpool "s***" and branding manager Jurgen Klopp a "German c***". Another video of him allegedly snorting a white powder just hours after working as a VAR official during Euro 2024 also circulated.
Following an investigation into the video involving Liverpool and Klopp, his refereeing career came to an end in December last year when he was found to have 'seriously breached' his contract by the PGMOL. Coote has now come out as gay in his first interview since being sacked - and admitted he has used cocaine as an escape.
And he has also released a statement which 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.
