David Coote comes out as gay in first interview since PGMOL sacking
David Coote was sacked by the PGMOL last year after a video of him criticising Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp emerged
Former Premier League referee David Coote has come out as gay in a candid interview following his dismissal by the PGMOL, where he also confessed to using cocaine as a means of coping.
Coote's officiating career was abruptly halted last year after he was deemed to have 'seriously breached' his contract by the PGMOL due to a video surfacing of him insulting Liverpool and calling manager Jurgen Klopp a "German c***". Additionally, footage allegedly showing him snorting a white substance shortly after serving as a VAR official at Euro 2024 became public.
In a revealing discussion about the events that led to the termination of his high-profile career, Coote not only disclosed his sexuality but also spoke about resorting to cocaine amidst fears of coming out in the "macho world" of the Premier League.
Speaking to The Sun, Coote expressed the struggles he faced with his identity, saying: "I felt a deep sense of shame during my teenage years in particular. I didn’t come out to my parents until I was 21. I didn’t come out to my friends until I was 25.
“My sexuality isn’t the only reason that led me to be in that position. But I’m not telling an authentic story if I don’t say that I’m gay, and that I’ve had real struggles dealing with hiding that.
“I hid my emotions as a young ref and I hid my sexuality as well - a good quality as a referee but a terrible quality as a human being. And that’s led me to a whole course of behaviours.”
Coote reflected on how his personal challenges intersected with his professional life. He said: “I’ve had issues around my self-esteem — and that relates to my sexuality. I’m gay and I’ve struggled with feeling proud of being ‘me’ over a long period of time.
“I have received deeply unpleasant abuse during my career as a ref and to add my sexuality to that would have been really difficult. There’s a lot to be done throughout football and more widely in society with regard to discrimination.
“I didn’t want to be that person that was putting their head above the parapet to be shot at, given the abuse we all get as a referee in any event.”
After the incident involving a video critical of Liverpool and Klopp, he faced immediate suspension and his dismissal was confirmed last month. Coote chose not to contest his dismissal and has remained silent on the matter until now.
"Following the conclusion of a thorough investigation into David Coote's conduct, his employment with PGMOL has been terminated today with immediate effect," read a statement from PGMOL at the time. "David Coote's actions were found to be in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position deemed untenable.
"Supporting David Coote continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare. David Coote has a right to appeal the decision to terminate his employment."
The FA has launched an investigation into comments made by referee David Coote, focusing on whether his remarks about Klopp's nationality might have breached its rules on misconduct. This probe coincides with a PGMOL inquiry that concluded with the termination of Coote's contract in relation to another incident where he was allegedly seen in a video snorting a white substance during Euro 2024.
UEFA also stepped in, appointing an ethics investigator to scrutinise the situation more closely. Coote previously made headlines after allegations that he had discussed booking Leeds United's Ezgjan Alioski online prior to overseeing the match against West Bromwich Albion.
In response to these claims, Coote stated: "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."