The English Football Association (FA) is investigating new allegations against referee David Coote. The allegations relate to match-fixing. The 42-year-old is alleged to have discussed a yellow card in 2019.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The English referee David Coote is alleged to have sent messages before the match between Leeds and West Brom in 2019 that indicate a possible influence on his refereeing decisions.
- Coote, who has already been criticized for derogatory comments made towards former Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp, denies the allegations. The FA is investigating the incident.
At the heart of the allegations are messages that Coote is said to have sent before and after the Leeds United v West Brom match in October 2019. In this match, Coote cautioned the then Leeds defender and former Super League player Ezgjan Alioski with a yellow card.
According to The Sun newspaper, Coote wrote to a friend after the game: "What a day yesterday. I hope you bet as we discussed."
The English Football Association is apparently taking the allegations very seriously. In a statement, the FA said: "These are very serious allegations which we are investigating as a matter of urgency."
Coote denies the allegations
Coote denies the allegations. The 42-year-old was recently suspended by the refereeing organization PGMOL after a video emerged in which he made derogatory comments about Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool FC. Shortly afterwards, another video emerged in which Coote appears to be snorting a white powder.
Coote emphasizes that the latest allegations are false and damaging to his reputation: "Whatever problems I may have had in my private life, they have never affected my decision-making on the pitch," said the English referee. He has always upheld the integrity of football and officiated matches impartially and to the best of his ability.
Coote is also under investigation by UEFA. However, this also relates to the video that emerged two weeks ago with reference to Liverpool FC.
