Premier League, former referee Coote comes out: "For a long time I was afraid to say I was gay"

London, January 28 – He is now a former referee, David Coote. The 42-year-old Englishman had recently ended up at the center of a case in the Premier League, for those videos in which he offended Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool, and had therefore been fired by the English Referees Association. But now he is once again being talked about, however for off-the-field events that concern him as a person.  "I'm gay and this contributed to a series of bad decisions that ruined my career, including drugs", the former international referee said in an interview with the 'Sun' in which he also revealed a cocaine addiction. "I had self-esteem issues arising from my sexuality," Coote said, "I'm gay and I struggled for a long time to feel proud of myself. I felt a huge sense of shame, especially as a teenager. I didn't tell my parents until I was 21, and my friends until I was 25.. My sexuality isn't the only reason for my problems, but I wouldn't be telling the whole story if I didn't say that I'm gay and that I've had real problems hiding it. "There is still a lot to do in football and in society in general against discrimination: I didn't want to be the person who comes forward, the one who puts his head over the parapet first knowing that he will be shot at", he admitted. "I am truly sorry for my actions and for the negative publicity I have brought to the sport I love", the former player then explained in a note

referee on insults to Liverpool and German coach Klopp, "I hope people understand that the videos they saw are private situations of the worst moments of my life: they do not reflect who I am or what I think."

Coote has been refereeing in the Premier League since 2018. He has been a match official on 2024 occasions in the English top flight. He is also under disciplinary investigation by UEFA for another video, released by the "Sun", where he is shown sniffing white powder the day after acting as VAR in France-Portugal at Euro XNUMX.