UEFA has announced an official investigation into suspended Premier League referee David Coote following the emergence of a video allegedly showing him snorting a white substance during his duties at Euro 2024. This latest footage, reportedly filmed on July 6, a day after Coote served as assistant VAR in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals, raises further concerns for the English official already facing disciplinary action.
Earlier this week, Coote was suspended by England’s Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) after a separate video surfaced in which he appeared to make derogatory remarks about Liverpool and former manager Jurgen Klopp. The combination of these incidents has led UEFA to take swift action, appointing an ethics and disciplinary inspector to assess potential breaches of the governing body’s code of conduct.
“A UEFA ethics and disciplinary inspector has been appointed to evaluate a potential violation of the UEFA disciplinary regulations by referee Mr. David Coote,” UEFA stated, pledging to release additional updates as the investigation proceeds.
The back-to-back controversies involving Coote have not only put his career in jeopardy but also brought renewed scrutiny to officiating standards across European football.
