"But in less than a year, that career has collapsed in spectacular fashion, and Coote now finds himself facing criminal charges of the gravest kind. The 43-year-old former referee is set to appear at Nottingham magistrates' court, accused of making an indecent video of a child. The charge relates to material categorised as "Category A"-the most serious classification for child abuse imagery, involving acts of the most severe exploitation."
"Only weeks earlier, he had been suspended when a video surfaced on social media in which he hurled vile insults at Jurgen Klopp, then Liverpool's manager. In that clip, Coote referred to Klopp as a "German c***" and "f***ing arrogant"-language that not only breached standards of professionalism but cut directly against the supposed impartiality referees are expected to embody. The clip shocked the football world and raised immediate concerns about bias, integrity, and the credibility of officiating at the highest level."
David Coote was a Premier League referee whose career collapsed within a year after multiple scandals and disciplinary actions. He faces criminal charges for making an indecent video of a child classified as Category A, the most serious category of child abuse imagery. The Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) dismissed him in December 2024 after he had been suspended when a social-media clip surfaced showing him hurling vile insults at Jurgen Klopp, calling him a "German c***" and "f***ing arrogant." The clip breached professional standards, undermined the presumed impartiality of referees, and prompted an FA investigation during which Coote claimed the words did not reflect his true feelings.
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