Referee David Coote: Fired Over Offensive Remarks and Social Media Scandal

On Tuesday, the Football Association charged former Premier League referee David Coote with making offensive comments about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp. The remarks, initially meant for friends, were captured in a private video and unexpectedly went viral on social media, resulting in Coote's dismissal.

The FA alleges that Coote's words were abusive and possibly referenced nationality, violating their rules. These remarks were taped in July 2020 and displayed Coote's opinions on Liverpool and Klopp. The content included derogatory language and criticism of Klopp's behavior during games.

Following this incident, Coote faced further scrutiny over separate allegations, including alleged cocaine use during the European Championship, as published by The Sun. UEFA has launched an investigation into these claims. Despite the controversy, the FA ruled no action on a previous case where Coote was accused of discussing giving a yellow card to a fan, with Coote denying any misconduct.

(With inputs from agencies.)