Suspended Premier League referee David Coote has allegedly been filmed snorting white powder in a new video reportedly taken while he was working at this summer's Euro 2024.
Coote was suspended on Monday after a clip thought to have been filmed several years ago leaked. In that first clip, the match official was allegedly filmed calling Jurgen Klopp a 'German c***', as well as blasting a Liverpool performance as "s***".
The PGMOL quickly acted to suspend the referee, after immediately launching their investigation. The Football Association are also looking into the incident, with Coote now reportedly considering quitting as a result.
UEFA have also taken action against Coote by removing him from their list of officials for the upcoming international fixtures. Now a fresh twist has put Coote under further scrutiny.
According to The Sun, a new eight-second WhatsApp video allegedly shows Coote using a rolled up US bank note to snort a four-inch line of what appears to be a white powder. On the bedside table alongside the white powder are scattered packets of prescription drugs, a credit card, and the Terry Hayes novel The Year of The Locust.
The new video was allegedly taken on July 6 this year, a day after France faced Portugal in the Euros quarter-finals. Coote had been acting as a support VAR official for the match.
He allegedly sent the clip to a friend and it is claimed he filmed himself in the UEFA-funded hotel room he used during the tournament. Earlier in the tournament Coote sent another photo from Frankfurt.
The photo reportedly showed his credit cards on a saucer either side of six chopped-up lines of white powder. He was said to have been staying in hotel rooms appointed by tournament organiser UEFA.
According to The Sun, other videos are said to have been sent over the summer from France, where Coote officiated at three football matches at the Paris Olympics. They included the Israel versus Japan clash on July 30, where he was in charge of VAR.
In response to the latest allegations, a PGMOL spokesperson insisted they were taking them 'very seriously'. They added Coote remains under investigation but is being supported by the organisation.
“We aware of the allegations and are taking them very seriously. David Coote remains suspended pending a full investigation," a PGMOL spokesperson told Mirror Football.
"David’s welfare continues to be of utmost importance to us and we are committed to providing him with the ongoing necessary support he needs through this period. We are not in a position to comment further at this stage.”
Coote was suspended by UEFA before the latest video was published. A spokesperson for the organisation told Mirror Football: "The UEFA Referees Committee immediately suspended David Coote until further notice on 11 November - in advance of the upcoming round of UEFA matches - when it became aware of his inappropriate behaviour."
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