Former Premier League referee David Coote has been banned from officiating in European competitions until June 30, 2026, by UEFA following an investigation into his conduct. The ban relates to incidents surrounding Euro 2024 and follows his dismissal by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in December 2024.
Coote, 42, was initially suspended by the PGMOL on November 11, 2024, after a video circulated showing him making derogatory comments about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp.
A further investigation was launched by UEFA on November 13, 2024, after The Sun published photographs purportedly taken during Euro 2024, alleging they showed Coote inhaling a white powder through a rolled-up US banknote. Coote had been listed as a video assistant referee (VAR) for the tournament.
UEFA stated that Coote had “violated the basic rules of decent conduct” and was sanctioned for “bringing the sport of football, and Uefa in particular, into disrepute.”
In an interview with The Sun last month, he revealed he is gay, apologized for his actions related to the Euro 2024 incident.
Separately, on November 27, 2024, the Football Association (FA) opened a new investigation into an allegation that Coote had discussed issuing a yellow card before a Championship match between Leeds and West Brom in 2019. Coote has consistently denied these allegations. The outcome of the FA investigation is pending. The UEFA ban effectively ends Coote’s involvement in top-level European football for the next two years.
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