Under-fire Premier League referee David Coote has strongly denied an allegation of spot-fixing that is being investigated by the Football Association.
Coote – already suspended by referees’ body PGMOL for unguarded comments he appeared to make about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp – refutes the claim that he issued a premeditated yellow card in a 2019 game after discussing it with a fan.
The Sun reported that after the match the 42-year-old official messaged the supporter to say: “I hope you backed as discussed.”
There is no suggestion that Coote – also being probed by European chiefs Uefa over a video appearing to show him snorting a white powder while working at Euro 2024 – sought to profit from showing the yellow card to Leeds United’s Ezgjan Alioski.
Coote called the latest allegations “false and defamatory”. He added: “Whatever issues I may have had in my personal life they have never affected my decision-making on the field.
“I have always held the integrity of the game in the highest regard, refereeing matches impartially and to the best of my ability.”
Spot-fixing is the manipulation of specific moments in a sporting contest rather than the final result and has blighted cricket in particular.
Coote’s booking of Alioski followed a sliding tackle on West Bromwich Albion’s Darnell Furlong in a Championship game that took place in October 2019.
The Sun reports that he told a Leeds fan whom he had met online that he would be officiating in the fixture.
The unnamed fan claims that he joked that Coote should book Alioski and that the ref replied: “Haha will see.”
Following the match Coote is then alleged to have sent a message saying: “I hope you backed as discussed.”
An FA spokesperson said: “These are very serious allegations and we are investigating as a matter of urgency.”
A spokesperson for PGMOL said: “The facts need to be established in light of these very serious allegations.
“We adopt a zero-tolerance approach to any breach of our Integrity Code of Conduct, which is signed by all match officials on an annual basis.
“PGMOL Board is committed to taking the appropriate action should any breach of that code be proven.
“David Coote remains suspended and subject to an ongoing disciplinary process by PGMOL, separate to the investigation into this matter which will be carried out independently by the FA. We will be making no further comment at this stage.”