Video of referee involved in cocaine scandal surfaces

First, David Coote is said to have insulted German coach Jurgen Klopp. Now a video has emerged showing a referee taking drugs.

Christopher Cohen/t-online

The scandal surrounding England referee David Coote was less than three days old when new allegations were made against UEFA referees on Wednesday. According to The Sun, a video allegedly shows a referee taking cocaine during the European Championships in Germany in the summer of 2024.

The video, which is only a few seconds long, shows a table with various objects, including a book and a line of white powder. Then, the silhouette of a man similar to Kurt appears in the frame. He used a rolled up bill to inhale the white powder into his nose.

The British Referees' Association (PGMOL) reacted immediately to the release of the new scandalous video: “We are aware of the allegations and are taking them very seriously. “The most important thing now is that we do not lose sight of David's welfare and we Every effort will be made to ensure he gets the help he desperately needs now. “A statement from the referees' organization suggested Coote may be suffering from mental health issues.

Serious accusations against Cootes

On the table that can be seen in the video, in addition to Coote's credit card and the book “Year of the Locust,” a spy thriller by Australian author Terry Hayes, there is a package containing the drug loratadine. This drug is an antihistamine and is used to treat allergies such as hay fever or skin conditions.

The Sun reported that the video was recorded on July 6, the day after France faced Portugal in the European Cup quarter-finals, when Coote was replaced as the video referee. The Premier League referee allegedly sent a photo to a friend on July 1, five days ago. Also visible on it was his credit card and six lines of white powder, possibly cocaine. According to the tabloid, the room that can be seen in the video or photo is a hotel room provided by UEFA during the European Championships.

Courtesy was suspended by PGMOL earlier this week after a video emerged in which the referee made derogatory remarks about Liverpool Football Club and its coach Jurgen Klopp. When Coote was asked in the video what he thought of Klopp, he opted for an extremely crude insult.

The Referees' Association and the Football Association (FA) have announced investigations into the incidents. UEFA has also concluded that it will suspend the referee until further notice and launch an investigation.

After losing 0-1 to Sweden's Växjö, Friborg-Gottron is expected to reach the quarter-finals. Elias Rosen scored the only goal of the game in the 34th minute after good work from Dylan McLaughlin.