A new video has emerged of Premier League referee David Coote appearing to snort white powder while at Euro 2024.
In footage obtained by The Sun, the top official can be seen using a rolled up US bank note to snort a line of what appears to be cocaine.
The Sun say the video was taken on July 6, which was a day after the Euro 2024 quarter-final clash between Spain and Germany, a game where Coote had been a support VAR official.
The report adds that Coote sent the clip to a friend and it’s believed he filmed himself in the UEFA-funded hotel room he used during the tournament.
On the bedside table alongside the powder are prescription drugs, a credit card, and the Terry Hayes novel The Year of The Locust.
This video will increase calls for the 42-year-old to stand down from his role as a Premier League referee, which is worth around £100,000 per year.
Coote was suspended by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), who are responsible for refereeing in English professional football, on Monday.
That was after a separate video was posted online showing him laying into former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, branding him ‘f***ing’ arrogant’ and a ‘German c***’.
A PGMOL spokesperson said on Wednesday evening: “We aware of the allegations and are taking them very seriously. David Coote remains suspended pending a full investigation.
“David’s welfare continues to be of utmost importance to us and we are committed to providing him with the ongoing necessary support he needs through this period. We are not in a position to comment further at this stage.”
Meanwhile, UEFA said: “The UEFA Referees Committee immediately suspended David Coote until further notice on November 12 – in advance of the upcoming round of UEFA matches – when it became aware of his inappropriate behaviour.”
The individual who sent the video of Coote snorting white powder told The Sun that the referee made other derogatory remarks about Everton Football Club and Liverpool defender Andy Robertson.
Coote is said to have branded Everton’s home, Goodison Park, as the worst place to referee due to fans ‘shouting abuse so close to the pitch.’
It’s also claimed Coote disliked officiating at Bournemouth because it was ‘too far away’ and claimed to be ‘too big’ to take charge at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena for their Championship clash against Oxford United on August 16.
The pal who shared the footage told The Sun: “I believe that the FA and the governing body of the referees have to make sure that the sport we all love is protected and being officiated by the right people. My message to David Coote is…there’s help out there.”
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It is claimed other videos were sent by Coote during the summer from France, where he officiated at three football games at the Paris Olympics.
The Football Association are already investigating Coote for his derogatory comments about Klopp and Liverpool, while UEFA removed him from their match list this week for Nations League fixtures.
In the first clip that was leaked, Coote called Klopp a ‘c***’ while he also labelled Liverpool as ‘s***’, in what was an apparent reference to a Premier League match that he had been fourth official for between Liverpool and Burnley in July 2020.
The game finished 1-1, which ended Liverpool’s 24-match winning run at Anfield, and Klopp criticised the performance of the officials afterwards.
Now the new footage, released by The Sun, has put further scrutiny on the conduct of one of the Premier League’s leading referees.
What Coote said about Liverpool and Klopp
Transcript from first video released…
First man: “What did you think of the Liverpool game earlier when you were fourth official?”
Coote: “Erm, Liverpool were s***.”
First man: “What did you think of Jurgen Klopp?”
Coote: “C***, absolute c***.”
First man: “Why would you say that Jurgen Klopp is a c***?”
Coote: “Erm, aside from having a right pop at me when I reffed them against Burnley in lockdown. Then, he accused me of lying and then just had a right f***ing pop at me – and I’ve got no interest in speaking to somebody whose f***ing arrogant. So I do my best not to speak to him. [James] Milner is alright, I get on with Milner.”
First man: “James Milner, he gets on with James Milner.”
Coote: “You can see me there with mask on.”
First man: “Mask on, obviously.”
Coote: “Yea Covid, got to be done. Social distancing right? We’re two metres apart.”
First man: “We have to social distance.”
Coote: “Yep, so but [exhales] my God. German c***, f*** me.”
First man: “Long story short, Jurgen Klopp’s a c***, Liverpool are all f***ing b******s, we hate Scousers.”
Coote has been a Premier League official since 2018 and refereed Liverpool’s most recent Premier League game – a 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday night.
PGMOL chief Howard Webb commented on the initial video during the Match Officials Mic’d Up show this week.
He said: “We became aware of a video which was being circulated on social media that we are taking very seriously.
“We have instigated a full investigation and one of our referees, David Coote, has been suspended with immediate effect pending the outcome of that investigation.
“There isn’t much more I can say pending the outcome of that investigation.”
