David Coote breaks silence after allegations surfaced that he discussed booking a player with a fan before a match in 2019 – as suspended referee releases statement amid FA investigation

David Coote has hit back at allegations that surfaced last night, claiming he discussed booking a player before he refereed a match five years ago.

Coote is currently suspended by referees’ chiefs after a leaked video circulated online earlier this month where he was alleged to have called former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp a ‘German ****’ and the Anfield club ‘s***’.

The refs’ body is also looking into a video of a man alleged to be Coote snorting a white powder in a hotel room during last summer’s Euros, at which he officiated. 

Mail Sport reported last week how an investigation into the official remains ongoing.

Fresh bombshell allegations then emerged on Tuesday night centred around a Championship game between Leeds and West Bromwich in October 2019.

It was reported in The Sun newspaper that Coote had a text exchange with a ‘pal’ in which it was suggested Leeds player Ezgjan Alioski would be booked during the clash at Elland Road, with the North Macedonian star subsequently cautioned in the 18th minute.

However, speaking for the first time since the claims emerged, Coote protested his innocence and slammed the ‘false and defamatory allegations’.

In a statement, he said: ‘I strongly refute these false and defamatory allegations.

‘Whatever issues I may have had in my personal life, they have never affected my decision-making on the field. 

‘I have always held the integrity of the game in the highest regard, refereeing matches impartially, and to the best of my ability.’

During the 18th minute of the aforementioned match, Alioski was brandished a yellow card by Coote after sliding in on West Brom‘s Darnell Furlong. 

An FA spokesman confirmed on Tuesday night they are investigating the matter.

‘These are very serious allegations and we are investigating as a matter of urgency,’ read a statement.

The Sun report Coote denies any wrongdoing and that there is no suggestion the official made any financial gain. The decision to give the yellow card is also considered the correct call by the referee given the nature of the challenge.

Insisting nothing untoward occurred during their discussion, Coote reportedly claims he was only having ‘banter’ with the friend. 

During the exchange, Coote reportedly boasted to the Leeds fan that he was set to referee their Championship match against the Baggies.

It is reported the fan jokingly told Coote to give Alioski a yellow card during the game so he could place a bet on that outcome ahead of time.

On the eve of the fixture, the friend replied to another Coote message by saying: ‘Oooh big game. We still on for what we discussed? Maybe I could you if so.’

Coote responded: ‘Haha I don’t know what you mean.’

The friend added: ‘Haha, well I’m off to back it in the morning so don’t let me down.’

‘Haha will see,’ Coote replied.

A day after the match, Coote told the friend: ‘What a day yesterday. I hope you backed as discussed.’

The Leeds fan replied by saying that he did not bet on the outcome, admitting another friend ‘backed it though’. 

‘Haha he will have to share with you then,’ the referee replied.

Alioski was ultimately the match winner for Leeds that day, netting the only goal of the game in their 1-0 win at Elland Road. 

The latest allegations come amid a storm at which Coote is the centre, following the emergence of a clip which appeared to show him calling Liverpool ‘s***’ and describing Jurgen Klopp a ‘German ****’.

This was then followed by a video that appeared to show a man alleged to be the official sniffing a white powder during the European Championship where he was a referee earlier this year.  

PGMOL (the body responsible for refereeing games in England) say they are taking claims against the 42-year-old ‘very seriously’. 

A PGMOL spokesperson said: ‘We are following an internal process and taking the allegations into David Coote’s conduct very seriously as part of our ongoing full and thorough investigation. Whilst David remains suspended, his welfare continues to be important to us and he is aware of the support network available to him.’ 

Coote was stood down from Premier League duties and also from international and European competition by UEFA, which is also investigating. 

‘The UEFA Referees Committee immediately suspended David Coote until further notice on November 11 when it became aware of his inappropriate behaviour,’ a spokesperson said. 

In the first clip, the Nottinghamshire official claimed Klopp was ‘arrogant’. ‘Aside from having a right pop at me when I reffed them against Burnley in lockdown, then he (Klopp) accused me of lying and had a right f****** pop at me,’ said Coote. 

‘I’ve got no interest in speaking to someone who’s f****** arrogant. I do my best not to speak to him. ‘My God, German ****, f*** me.’

He also added:  ‘Liverpool were s***. (Klopp is a) ****, absolute ****. 

‘(James) Milner is all right, I get on with him. You can see me there with a ‘mask’ on.’

In a second video, the man added: ‘Just to be clear, that f***ing last video cannot go anywhere, seriously.’

The game the man alleged to be Coote is referring to in the video was Liverpool’s controversial 1-1 draw with Burnley back in 2020. 

Things went from bad to worse for Coote earlier this month when an eight-second clip was released by The Sun which allegedly showed him using a rolled-up bank note to inhale a white powder in a hotel room at last summer’s European Championship. 

That video is said to have been recorded on July 6, the day after the Euro 2024 quarter-final between Portugal and France, in which Coote was a support VAR official and Michael Oliver was the referee.

It is also reported to have been filmed in a UEFA-funded hotel room. He has been stood down from officiating European matches by UEFA.

Finally, The Sun released messages, supposedly from an acquaintance of Coote, which claimed the 42-year-old tried to set up a ‘drugs party’ in a Travelodge when he ‘he should have been concentrating’ on City’s match at Spurs on October 30.

Coote allegedly booked a hotel room at 7.38pm and sent a booking notification to somebody else at 8.04pm – just 11 minutes ahead of kick-off.

The latest damning allegations claim that Coote messaged a friend saying ‘hope you’re getting ready (to meet)’ – during the half-time break of City’s 2-1 loss to Spurs.

A source told The Sun: ‘On the day of the game he was messaging me repeatedly and wanting a drugs party after he’d finished at Spurs (where he was the fourth official).

‘He didn’t book the Travelodge until just before kick-off, then sent a notification 11 minutes from the game starting. It was crazy.

‘Moments before and afterwards he sent me messages. When he messaged me at half-time I thought it was so surreal.

‘Surely he should have been concentrating on the game, not arranging drugs parties.’

The source claims they eventually pulled out of the meet-up with Coote and that the official ‘went mad’ – even requesting £73.99 in compensation for the booking fee.

Another source told the outlet that Coote had called Liverpool left back Andy Robertson a ‘Scottish p****’.

‘He did say that the worst place to referee was Goodison Park due to the young Scousers screaming, shouting, swearing at him and calling every name under the sun before the games had even started,’ the source said.