Premier League Referee's Contract Terminated For Breach Of Contract

Premier League referee David Coote has had his contract terminated by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) for ‘breach of contract'. The referee was suspended on November 11 after a video appeared to show Coote using foul language to describe former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and the club went viral. “Following the conclusion of a thorough investigation into David Coote's conduct, his employment with PGMOL has been terminated today with immediate effect. David Coote's actions were found to be in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position deemed untenable.

"Supporting David Coote continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare,” read the statement by PGMOL.

Coote, who has recently been at the centre of controversies that bring serious questions against the integrity of the Refereeing body, is also being investigated for a possible betting scandal.

The 42-year-old is being questioned surrounding a yellow card he showed to Leeds player Ezgjan Alioski, during the Leeds United versus West Bromwich Albion game in October 2019 and is being investigated both by the refereeing body in England, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) and the Football Association (FA) in separate investigations as reported by British newspaper outlet The Sun.

The report suggests that Coote discussed handing out a yellow card over text messages but there is no suggestion that the referee made any financial gains over the event.

A previous video by The Sun also showed the referee snorting white powder whilst he was in Germany for the 2024 European Championship.