David Coote has seen his refereeing career in England and Europe put on ice after video footage of him defaming Jurgen Klopp using inflammatory language was made public, but he could yet have an olive branch extended to him from elsewhere.
The 42-year-old has been suspended by the PGMOL pending an investigation into his tirade against the ex-Liverpool manager, while UEFA have confirmed that they won’t assign him to any fixtures under their jurisdiction for the foreseeable future.
However, there could be one avenue for him to continue carrying out his profession, one which’d see him follow a path trodden by a fellow Premier League official.
Coote could yet have Saudi escape route
According to the Daily Mail, the Saudi Pro League could offer Coote an escape route from English football if he ends up losing his job in his homeland.
The powerbrokers in the Middle East are eager to keep raising the standards of officiating in the division and have frequently drafted in referees from other nations, including Michael Oliver, who took charge of a fixture between Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal in April 2023.
However, amid concerns within Saudi Arabia about their league being viewed as a ‘dumping ground’ for officials who’ve run into controversy elsewhere, they’d need to be satisfied that bringing in refs from outside the country would have more positives than negatives.
What next for Coote?
PGMOL chief Howard Webb has insisted that Premier League referees would only be given approval to take charge of matches in the Saudi top flight if it presents a ‘development opportunity’, e.g. for younger officials to gain experience of high-profile fixtures.
That circumstance wouldn’t apply to Coote, who’s been involved at the highest level in England since 2018, but there could be one crucial difference between his situation and Oliver’s.
Whereas the latter went to Saudi Arabia while still active in the Premier League, the Nottinghamshire official could potentially find himself banished from the English top flight if the relevant authorities decide that his job in this country is now untenable.
Given a series of high-profile controversies involving Liverpool fixtures, and of course his inflammatory comments about Klopp, we don’t envisage too many Reds fans having any objections if Coote is henceforth precluded from being involved in matches directly or indirectly affecting the Merseyside giants.
