Former Premier League referee David Coote has been suspended from football-related activities for eight weeks and must attend an education program after making disparaging remarks about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. The Football Association (FA) charged Coote in June after a video surfaced on social media last November containing the offensive comments.

The video, believed to have been filmed in July 2020, captured Coote using abusive language towards Klopp and referencing his nationality. He described being a fourth official at a Liverpool match that summer as "s" and called Klopp a "German c" and "f** arrogant". These comments led to the FA charging Coote with a breach of rules related to remarks about Klopp's nationality. The FA's charge included an allegation that Coote's actions constituted an "aggravated breach" of rules because they included a reference to nationality.

Coote admitted to the charge, and an independent Regulatory Commission imposed the eight-week suspension and mandated his participation in a face-to-face education program for violating FA Rule E3. He was initially suspended for his conduct and then fired in December by the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL). PGMOL determined that his position was "untenable" following an investigation into his behavior.

In addition to the FA investigation, Coote was investigated following allegations that he discussed potentially giving a yellow card to a player in a match with a fan. However, the FA said that no charges were issued in relation to that investigation. Separately, UEFA banned Coote until June 30, 2026, after a video emerged of him allegedly using cocaine during the European Championship this year.

Coote came out as gay in January, telling The Sun that hiding his sexuality contributed to his rant about Klopp and his drug use. He stated that while his sexuality was not the only reason for his behavior, he had struggled with hiding that part of himself.