FA investigating allegations David Coote discussed giving yellow card BEFORE match & sent 'hope you backed' message to fan as suspended Premier League referee makes statement

The official, who has been suspended by Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOL) after a video surfaced showing him making disparaging remarks about Liverpool and former manager Jurgen Klopp, is now under investigation over text messages he sent to friends, The Sun reports.

Coote, however, denies any wrongdoing in this instance. A statement from the referee said: "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."

The latest incident occurred the day before a Championship match between Leeds and West Brom, with Coote's friend allegedly joking with the referee about showing a yellow card to then-Leeds player Ezgjan Alioski. The player was booked in the 18th minute of the match.

The person Coote allegedly discussed it with told The Sun: "My first contact with David Coote was online. When I got talking to him a bit more, I found out about his job as a football referee. I jokingly told him to give Alioski a yellow card in the Leeds United game the following day against West Bromwich Albion, so I could back this in the bookies. He sarcastically replied: ‘Haha will see’. Just 18 minutes into the game the next day Alioski was booked. It was Leeds’ only yellow card in the match. He messaged me a while after the game and said: ‘I hope you backed as discussed’."

After the initial video of Coote discussing Liverpool emerged, another appearing to showing the referee snorting a white powder during Euro 2024 surfaced online. The latest allegations put the referee and PGMOL under more pressure, and the latter says it has opened an investigation, while the FA is running its own.

"The facts need to be established in light of these very serious allegations," a PGMOL statement read. "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."

The investigations into Coote's behaviour are still ongoing, but the official is not expected to be seen in Premier League matches in the near future.