The PGMOL confirm that they have terminated David Coote's employment with immediate effect after the disgraced referee made shocking remarks about former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp in a leaked video.
The 42-year-old was provisionally suspended by the governing body last month after footage emerged of him appearing to call Klopp a "German c***" during a COVID-19 lockdown a few years ago.
Coote - who appeared alongside another individual in the video - supposedly claimed that the footage was not real at first, but the official then accepted that the clips were genuine, allegedly claiming that he could not recall the content of the conversation.
While the PGMOL investigated the authenticity of the Klopp video, more serious allegations were made against Coote, who was also suspended by UEFA after a video which appears to show him snorting a white powder was leaked online.
The referee was also accused of match-fixing by planning to dish out a yellow card before West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United's Championship match in October 2019, although he strongly refuted those allegations.
PGMOL: 'Coote's position became untenable'
David Coote pictured on October 27, 2024© Imago
On Monday afternoon, the PGMOL announced on X - formerly known as Twitter - that they had finished their investigation into Coote's conduct, and the 42-year-old has been relieved of his duties after he was found in "serious breach" of his contract.
"Following the conclusion of a thorough investigation into David Coote's conduct, his employment with PGMOL has been terminated today with immediate effect," the PGMOL said.
More to follow.
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