No referees have EVER been tested for drugs as David Coote faces end of Premier League career after ‘cocaine shame’
NO referees or match officials have ever been tested for drugs – as David Coote’s apparent “cocaine shame” is set to end his career.
Premier League referee David Coote has found himself embroiled in a storm of controversy over a number of videos.
Coote was suspended by the PGMOL earlier this week after video emerged showing him refer to Liverpool as “s***” and extraordinarily describe ex-Reds boss Jurgen Klopp as a “c***”.
While The Sun have since exclusively revealed video of the Prem official seemingly snorting coke during Euro 2024 last summer.
Incredibly, match officials are not drug tested despite the gravity of their role in football.
While all players and other athletes in British sport are subject to drug testing rules, including post-match and out of competition action, the regulations do not apply to match officials.
That is the case globally across not just football and throughout the world rather than only in the UK.
All sports follow the World Anti-Doping Authority code, aimed at preventing athletes gaining an advantage by using performance-enhancing substances.
The Wada banned list also includes recreational drugs.
But the Wada provisions, also followed by UK Anti Doping, which conducts tests across British sport, makes no reference to match officials.
UKAD explains: “Any UK athlete subject to the anti-doping rules of their sport and non-UK athlete staying, training, residing, entering a competition,
“Or named as a member of a team participating in a competition at any level within the UK is eligible for testing as part of UKAD’s national anti-doping programme.
“Any athlete eligible for testing can be tested anytime, anywhere.”
But the regulations do not apply to match officials – because of the “performance enhancing” provision of the world code.
The PGMOL have revealed they are aware of the video of him sniffing a white powder.
They told The Sun: “We aware of the allegations and are taking them very seriously. David Coote remains suspended pending a full investigation.
“David’s welfare continues to be of utmost importance to us and we are committed to providing him with the ongoing necessary support he needs through this period.
“We are not in a position to comment further at this stage.”