David Coote remains suspended for the upcoming weekend, with the Premier League have confirming their refereeing appointments for the upcoming weekend.
This weekend features some blockbuster clashes including Manchester City's showdown with Tottenham and Ruben Amorim's first game in charge of Manchester United at Ipswich.
But Coote is not on the fixture list as he was suspended after an old video emerged of him calling Jurgen Klopp a 'German ****' and Liverpool 's***'.
Another video came to light of a man alleged to be Coote snorting white powder during Euro 2024, while he was accused of trying to set up a 'drugs party' in a Travelodge after Man City's defeat by Tottenham in the Carabao Cup last month.
Sam Barrott is the man tasked with taking charge of league leaders Liverpool's trip to Southampton on Sunday, with Lee Betts and Wade Smith as assistants, Darren England as fourth official, Michael Oliver as VAR and Matt Wilks as assistant VAR.
While many have used Coote's scandal as a stick to beat referees, there has also been an outpouring of sympathy for a long-serving official who needs kindness.
As Mail Sport's Ian Ladyman wrote: 'A professional referee at the apex of his career who feels the need to take cocaine in a hotel room in the middle of a big summer tournament would appear to be in need of a little help.'
Richard Keys has also called for Coote to be allowed to return to officiating in the Football League and says officials should be randomly drugs tested.
'If we genuinely believe in "wellbeing and mental health" we have no choice but to sanction Coote and then let him get on with his life. Anything else might lead to a devastating outcome. Tick. I’ve nearly been there,' he wrote in his blog.
Last week was a turbulent one for Coote, with the video of him ranting about Liverpool coming to light on Monday - though, as old clips showed, the Reds had been more than happy to give him a foul-mouthed earful and get away with it.
'Liverpool were s***,' Coote said in the video, which saw him suspended by the PGMOL. '(Klopp is a) ****, absolute ****. Aside from having a right pop at me when I was refereeing them against Burnley in lockdown, he accused me of lying and then had a right f***ing pop of me.
'I have no interest in speaking to someone who is f***ing arrogant. So I do my best not to speak to him. (James) Milner is all right, I get on with him. You can see me there with a 'mask' on. But, my god, German ****, f*** me.'
It appeared that his comments came after Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Burnley in July 2020, when Andy Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Jurgen Klopp all fronted up to the official.
On Wednesday, an eight-second clip was released by The Sun which allegedly shows Coote using a rolled-up bank note to inhale a white powder in a hotal room at last summer's European Championship.
That video is said to have been recorded on July 6, the day after the Euro 2024 quarter-final between Portugal and France, in which Coote was a support VAR official and Michael Oliver was the referee.
It is also reported to have been filmed in a UEFA-funded hotel room. He has been stood down from officiating European matches by UEFA.
Finally, The Sun released messages, supposedly from an acquaintance of Coote, which claimed the 42-year-old tried to set up a 'drugs party' in Travelodge when he 'he should have been concentrating' on City's match at Spurs on October 30.
Coote allegedly booked a hotel room at 7.38pm and sent a booking notification to somebody else at 8.04pm - just 11 minutes ahead of kick-off.
The latest damning allegations claim that Coote messaged a friend saying 'hope you're getting ready (to meet)' - during the half-time break of City's 2-1 loss to Spurs.
A source told The Sun: 'On the day of the game he was messaging me repeatedly and wanting a drugs party after he'd finished at Spurs (where he was the fourth official).
'He didn't book the Travelodge until just before kick-off, then sent a notification 11 minutes from the game starting. It was crazy.
'Moments before and afterwards he sent me messages. When he messaged me at half-time I thought it was so surreal.
'Surely he should have been concentrating on the game, not arranging drugs parties.'
The source claims they eventually pulled out of the meet-up with Coote and that the official 'went mad' - even requesting £73.99 in compensation for the booking fee.
Another source told the outlet that Coote had called Liverpool left-back Robertson a 'Scottish p****'.
'He did say that the worst place to referee was Goodison Park due to the young Scousers screaming, shouting, swearing at him and calling every name under the sun before the games had even started,' the source said.
