English referee David Coote banned by UEFA until 2026

By: The Associated Press Posted: 6:40 AM CST Friday, Feb. 28, 2025 Last Modified: 9:54 AM CST Friday, Feb. 28, 2025

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — English referee David Coote has been banned by UEFA until June 30, 2026, European soccer's governing body said Friday.

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NYON, Switzerland (AP) — English referee David Coote has been banned by UEFA until June 30, 2026, European soccer's governing body said Friday.

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This article was published 28/02/2025 (562 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — English referee David Coote has been banned by UEFA until June 30, 2026, European soccer’s governing body said Friday.

Coote was fired by English soccer’s refereeing body in December after a video was posted online of him making offensive comments to friends about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp.

UEFA also launched an investigation into Coote following another video appearing to show him snorting white powder in an incident that allegedly happened during last year’s European Championship.

FILE - Referee David Coote reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton and Brentford, at White Hart Lane Stadium in London, England, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland, File)

In the latest decisions published by UEFA’s control, ethics and disciplinary body, it said Coote was banned from any UEFA refereeing activity for violating the “basic rules of decent conduct” and bringing “the sport of football, and UEFA in particular, into disrepute.”

Coote was suspended by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), which governs English referees, in November after the video of him making comments about Klopp came to light.

The PGMOL issued a statement in December saying Coote’s employment had been terminated with immediate effect following the conclusion of an investigation.

His “actions were found to be in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position deemed untenable,” the referees body said.