Former Premier League referee David Coote has been banned by UEFA due to his conduct surrounding Euro 2024.
Coote was dismissed by the Premier League refereeing body, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), in December following an investigation into his behavior.
The PGMOL initially suspended Coote on November 11 after a video surfaced showing him making derogatory remarks about Liverpool and their former manager, Jürgen Klopp.
Subsequently, UEFA launched its own investigation two days later, after The Sun published photographs allegedly taken during the European Championship last summer. The images appeared to show Coote using a rolled-up US banknote to sniff a white substance.
At the time, the 42-year-old was serving as a video assistant referee (VAR) at the tournament in Germany.
UEFA stated that Coote had “violated the basic rules of decent conduct” and sanctioned him for “bringing the sport of football, and UEFA in particular, into disrepute.” As a result, he is barred from officiating in European competitions until June 30, 2026.
In a recent interview with The Sun, Coote publicly revealed that he is gay and issued an apology for his actions.
Additionally, on November 27, 2024, the Football Association launched a new investigation following claims that Coote had discussed issuing a yellow card before a 2019 Championship match between Leeds and West Brom. Coote has consistently denied these allegations.