Watch: Former Premier League referee David Coote comes out as gay

Former Premier League referee David Coote has expressed regret regarding the circumstances that led to his dismissal from English football’s referee body, PGMOL, last month. He explained that the pressures of officiating and concerns about potential abuse related to his sexuality influenced his actions.

Coote was let go after being suspended in November, following the emergence of a video on social media that depicted him allegedly making derogatory comments about Liverpool and their former manager, Juergen Klopp.

Referee David Coote, 42, with over 100 top-flight games to his name, has opened up about his struggles with personal identity and substance use, citing a fear of coming out as gay that contributed to his miseries. He acknowledged that he was not sober during the recording in question.

On November 11, the PGMOL suspended Coote from officiating. The situation intensified when a video was released by The Sun, allegedly showing him using white powder while officiating at Euro 2024, leading to a new investigation by UEFA.

The referee comes with a shocking clarification

EXCL: Emotional David Coote bravely comes out as gay pic.twitter.com/bMEvawLJ7P

— The Sun Football ⚽ (@TheSunFootball) January 27, 2025

“I want to apologise to anybody who I’ve offended by my actions. You can tell by the video I wasn’t sober." Coote said.

“I have received deeply unpleasant abuse during my career as a ref and to add my sexuality to that would have been really difficult. 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," he added.

“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," he concluded.

Coote, who officiated at last year’s Olympics, stated that the publication of the video plunged him into a dark place.

“I don’t recognise myself in the cocaine video. I can’t resonate with how I felt then, but that was me. I was struggling with the schedule and there was no opportunity to stop. And so I found myself in that position, eescaping, he said.

The former referee is adamant that he has overcome his drug habit following therapy, but he continues to grapple with the shame of his past actions.