Coote previously pleaded guilty to making an indecent moving image of a child of the most serious kind, Britain’s Press Association reported.

He was sentenced to nine months, which was suspended for two years, at Nottingham Crown Court.

Coote’s electronic devices were seized by police last February and the video of the 15-year-old boy in school uniform from Jan. 2, 2020, was found on the hard drive of the former referee’s laptop.

“You have had a spectacular fall from grace,” judge Nirmal Shant told the 43-year-old Coote, whose arms and hands trembled as a sentence was handed down, PA news reported.

Coote was granted access to an area normally reserved for witnesses before leaving the court building via a private exit marked “probation liaison office.” He did not speak when asked if he had any comment to make.

Coote’s barrister, Laura Jane Miller, said he was “deeply ashamed of himself and his actions.”

“For the last six years, Mr Coote has faced intensive media scrutiny,” she told the court. “He has shown remorse for this offending to the probation service.”

The video was found after a separate investigation into remarks Coote made about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp in 2020.

Coote was banned for eight weeks and ordered to take a face-to-face education program for making offensive comments about Klopp in a private video that ended up being widely circulated on social media, leading to the match official getting fired.

Coote was initially suspended for his conduct and then sacked because his position was deemed “untenable” by English soccer’s referees body following an investigation into his conduct.

Coote was also investigated by the Football Association following allegations in British newspaper The Sun that he discussed with a fan the possibility of giving a yellow card to a player in a match. Coote denied any wrongdoing and the FA said in June that no charges were issued in relation to that investigation.

Separately, UEFA launched an investigation into Coote following a video, again published by The Sun, allegedly showing him using cocaine during the European Championship in 2024.

AP

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Former Premier League referee David Coote was charged by the Football Association on Tuesday for making offensive comments to friends about ex-Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp in a private video that ended up being widely circulated on social media, leading to the match official getting fired.

Coote is alleged to have “acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words,” the FA said about a video recorded around July 2020.

The governing body said it’s alleged that the official’s actions constitute an “aggravated breach” of rules because they “included a reference — whether express or implied — to nationality.”

Two videos, apparently filmed using a phone, circulated on social media appearing to show Coote giving his personal opinion on Liverpool and Klopp, its long-time former manager, when asked by an unidentified man.

Coote uses an expletive for Liverpool and a derogatory term for Klopp, saying he disliked the German manager because he was “arrogant” and “accused me of lying” after one game.

Coote was initially suspended for his conduct and then fired in December because his position was deemed “untenable” by English soccer’s referees body following an investigation into his conduct.

Coote was also investigated by the FA following allegations in British newspaper The Sun that he discussed with a fan the possibility of giving a yellow card to a player in a match. Coote denied any wrongdoing and the FA said Tuesday no charges were issued in relation to that investigation.

Separately, UEFA launched an investigation into Coote following a video, again published by The Sun, allegedly showing him using cocaine during the European Championship this year.

AP

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UEFA started another investigation into English match official David Coote on Thursday after a video allegedly showed him using cocaine during the European Championship.

“A UEFA ethics and disciplinary inspector has been appointed to evaluate a potential violation of the UEFA disciplinary regulations by the referee, Mr. David Coote,” UEFA said in a statement.

Coote worked as a video review specialist at Euro 2024, where match officials stayed at a hotel near Frankfurt. The 42-year-old assistant supported the lead VAR official at eight games.

British daily The Sun published a video late Wednesday appearing to show Coote snorting the drug using an American banknote.

The report said the incident was filmed one day after Coote’s last match duty, the quarterfinal between France and Portugal. France won a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw.

Coote was suspended on Monday by the English match referees body after a different cellphone video circulated of him making offensive comments with friends about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp. That body and the English FA started investigations.

UEFA already withdrew Coote from match duty for national team games this week after the first video was published.

The games he worked at Euro 2024 included host Germany’s 2-0 win over Denmark in the round of 16 that included a controversial penalty award for handball. The lead VAR official at that game, Stuart Attwell, was involved in some of the tournament’s most debated decisions.

Match officials can work at international games and tournaments, like Euro 2024, after being proposed by their national federation for approval by FIFA. Coote has been on the FIFA international list since 2020 and had been appointed by UEFA to referee some lower-level games. He was approved to work at games in 2024 only as a “video match official.”

“FIFA international match officials shall be role models,” the world soccer body states in its rules. “As such, they are expected to behave with dignity and respect, while complying with all applicable FIFA regulations and guidelines.”

AP

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