Sacked Premier League referee David Coote has come out as gay and says his lifelong struggle to hide his sexuality was a factor behind losing his job.
Coote’s career as a referee ended last year after he was deemed to have ‘seriously breached’ his contract by the PGMOL, following the release of a video showing him disparaging Liverpool with expletives and insulting manager Jurgen Klopp. Additionally, footage allegedly displaying him snorting a white substance mere hours post serving as a VAR official during Euro 2024 made rounds online.
In his first interview since the scandal, Coote lifted the lid on the incidents that saw his high-profile career come to an end. He told the Sun: “I’ve had issues around my self-esteem – and that relates to my sexuality. I’m gay and I’ve struggled with feeling proud of being ‘me’ over a long period of time
“I felt a deep sense of shame during my teenage years in particular. I didn’t come out to my parents until I was 21. I didn’t come out to my friends until I was 25. My sexuality isn’t the only reason that led me to be in that position. But I’m not telling an authentic story if I don’t say that I’m gay, and that I’ve had real struggles dealing with hiding that.
“I hid my emotions as a young ref and I hid my sexuality as well – a good quality as a referee but a terrible quality as a human being. And that’s led me to a whole course of behaviours.”
Coote also reflected on the uncertainty and apprehension he faced about coming out publicly in fear of the abuse he would receive. He added: “I have received deeply unpleasant abuse during my career as a ref and to add my sexuality to that would have been really difficult.
“There’s a lot to be done throughout football and more widely in society with regard to discrimination. I didn’t want to be that person that was putting their head above the parapet to be shot at, given the abuse we all get as a referee in any event.”
Coote also opened up about his use of cocaine as a means of coping, as he dealt with suppressed emotions amidst a demanding work life. Regarding his drug use, he said: “It’s not something I was reliant on day by day, week by week, month by month.
“I’ve had long periods where I’ve not used it – but it was one of the escape routes I had. Just getting away from the stresses, the relentlessness of the job. It fills me with a huge sense of shame to say that I took that route.”
Following the release of a video in which he criticised Liverpool and Klopp, Coote faced immediate suspension and was sacked last month by the PGMOL. He chose not to appeal the decision and has remained silent on the matter until now. The Football Association launched an investigation into the video involving Liverpool, which was believed to be focused on whether Coote’s reference to Klopp’s nationality constituted an aggravated breach of its misconduct rules.
The PGMOL investigation that resulted in Coote’s sacking is also thought to have examined another video which seemed to depict Coote inhaling a white substance, allegedly during Euro 2024 where he served as one of the assistant VARs for the tournament. UEFA, the governing body for European football, has also assigned an ethics investigator to probe into the issue.