FA bans David Coote after abusive remarks

The FA imposes an eight-week ban and education for a referee who admitted to a crude outburst aimed at Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp.

FA bans David Coote after abusive language toward Klopp and Liverpool

David Coote has been banned by the FA after admitting to multiple charges linked to an expletive laden rant about Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp. An independent Regulatory Commission handed an eight-week suspension and ordered a mandatory face-to-face education programme. Coote had already been sacked by PGMOL and was later banned by UEFA, in a chain of disciplinary actions across the sport’s governing bodies.

The offences were tied to a video recorded in the summer of 2020 in his living room. The clip, which showed him making highly insulting remarks, appeared on social media in November 2024. Coote said the remarks were not intended for a wider audience, that he regretted the language used, and that the incident reflected a period of poor judgment. He also described a profound sense of shame and acknowledged that he had lost a career that formed a core part of his identity. The charges cited an improper manner of conduct and an aggravated breach tied to nationality.

This case underscores how private, heated moments can become public due to online sharing. It also highlights how football’s governance network acts across bodies to uphold standards, even years after the incident. The punishment blends accountability with a path to rehabilitation through education, signaling that behavior in the heat of the moment has lasting consequences for officials.

Beyond the specifics, the episode invites scrutiny of a broader culture around referees and public figures in football. The focus on nationality as a factor in the breach shows how language and bias are judged in high-stakes environments, potentially shaping how officials handle pressure in the future. The response suggests a balance between maintaining trust in officiating and offering a route back for those who acknowledge fault and show genuine remorse.

Highlights

Words carry a weight that rules and robes cannot dampen.