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WHAT HAPPENED?
Premier League referee Coote is under investigation by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) for initially appearing to call Liverpool “sh*t” and their former manager Jurgen Klopp a “German c*nt”, before footage emerged of the 42-year-old snorting a white substance at Euro 2024. Now, ex-referee Keith Hackett says drug tests must be introduced for officials – something he claims he has long pushed for.
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Getty Images SportWHAT KEITH HACKETT SAID
He told The Telegraph: “What is really concerning me is that the integrity of every referee in the organisation is now in question. I thought, if the players have to go through this process, why not referees? That wasn’t accepted by the board. I think, at that particular time, it was just rejected as, ‘It doesn’t happen to referees’.
“We have started to discuss this and this is something for the future which will be discussed to possibly include an anti-doping programme for referees. We do not have an indication that this is a problem but this is something we have to look at. The referees are a neglected population.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Hot on the heels of the two aforementioned scandals, Coote – who is currently suspended – was embroiled in another one after allegedly sending messages to arrange a ‘drugs party’ before and during the half-time break of Tottenham’s Carabao Cup clash with Manchester City last month.
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?
Coote, who is under investigation by the PGMOL, the Football Association, and UEFA, will have to wait and see what punishment comes his way and if he can continue in this line of work.
