Former Premier League referee David Coote has apologised for the actions that led to his dismissal by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) last month, revealing personal struggles with his sexuality, the pressures of the role, and substance abuse.

Coote, who officiated over 100 top-flight matches and participated in international tournaments such as the 2024 UEFA European Championship qualifiers and the Olympics, was suspended in November following a video shared on social media.

The video allegedly showed him under the influence and verbally abusing Liverpool Football Club and their former manager Juergen Klopp.

Coote admitted that he 'was not sober' at the time of the recording and apologised to anyone offended by his actions.

In an interview with The Sun, Coote publicly came out as gay, explaining that his fear of disclosing his sexuality had contributed to his struggles.

He described the difficulty of hiding his emotions as a referee and his personal identity, noting that this had negatively impacted his mental health.

"I have received deeply unpleasant abuse during my career as a ref, and to add my sexuality to that would have been really difficult," Coote said.

"My sexuality isn’t the only reason that led me to be in that position, but I’m not telling an authentic story if I don’t say that I’m gay and that I’ve had real struggles dealing with hiding that."

The controversy escalated when UEFA launched an investigation following the release of another video allegedly showing Coote using cocaine while officiating at a UEFA Euro 2024 event.

Coote, 42, acknowledged he had been in a dark place during that time, compounded by personal challenges, including the sudden death of his mother and his uncle's diagnosis with motor neurone disease.

Coote also pointed to the increasing workload for referees in the post-COVID era, particularly with the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, which requires six officials per match.

He said the relentless schedule left little room to cope with mounting pressures, which led him to turn to drugs as an escape.

"I don’t recognise myself in the cocaine video.

I can’t resonate with how I felt then, but that was me.

I was struggling with the schedule, and there was no opportunity to stop," he stated.

Since his dismissal, Coote has sought therapy to address his substance abuse and mental health challenges, stating that he is working towards personal improvement.

He also expressed regret over tarnishing the integrity of the sport.

"I’m guilty of what I did, but I’m trying to be the best person that I can be now.

I’ve taken steps to improve both my physical and mental wellbeing," Coote said.

He encouraged others facing similar struggles to seek help, emphasising the importance of open communication rather than bottling up emotions.

PGMOL and UEFA have not commented further on the matter.

Coote’s case has sparked broader discussions around mental health, inclusivity, and support structures within professional sports officiating.