Sacked Premier League referee David Coote reveals he experienced suicidal thoughts and panic attacks in public after damaging videos were leaked
Sacked Premier League referee David Coote reveals he experienced suicidal thoughts and panic attacks in public after damaging videos were leaked
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Disgraced Premier League referee David Coote revealed he experienced suicidal thoughts and panic attacks in public after damaging videos of him were published online last year, leading to his dismissal as an elite-level official. Coote was sacked by the PGMOL, the referees' body, after appearing in several leaked clips, including one in which he insulted former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. In another, he could be seen snorting a white powder.
![[Disgraced referee Coote came out as gay and apologised for his actions after his dismissal]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/30/11/94677019-14329419-image-a-75_1738236861310.jpg)
Speaking in his first interview after the scandal, the 42-year-old publicly came out as gay and disclosed that struggles with his sexuality during his career, which he kept hidden out of fear of abuse, led him to make 'really poor choices'. Coote has now opened up on being at the centre of the tabloid story which ended his career, admitting he wasn't sure if he'd 'be here' without the support of others.
![[In one clip, Coote was caught calling former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp a 'German c***']](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/30/11/94676983-14329419-image-a-74_1738236857727.jpg)
'In that first week, I had suicidal thoughts and I didn't get close to acting on those but at that time, that was really tough,' Coote told Sky Sports News. 'A lot of people spoke to me and reached out to me on a frequent basis, daily basis because they were concerned about my welfare which I was grateful to them for.
![[Coote also suffered from panic attacks after finding himself at the heart of a tabloid story]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/30/11/94677085-14329419-image-a-76_1738236868544.jpg)
David Coote revealed he had suicidal thoughts after damaging videos of him were made public. Disgraced referee Coote came out as gay and apologised for his actions after his dismissal. In one clip, Coote was caught calling former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp a 'German c***'.
![[He officiated more than 100 top-flight games and a return to football has not been ruled out]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/30/11/94677227-14329419-image-a-77_1738236941584.jpg)
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