The Football Association is currently looking into an accusation involving referee David Coote supposedly discussing issuing a yellow card before a game.
The Sun newspaper alleges that Coote gave a yellow card to former Leeds player Ezgjan Alioski during a match against West Brom in October 2019, and later messaged a friend stating: “I hope you backed as discussed.”
According to reports from The Sun, Coote has denied any wrongdoing.
A spokesperson for the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) informed Sky Sports News: “The truth must be determined in light of these very serious allegations.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy towards any violation of our integrity code of conduct, which all match officials sign annually. The PGMOL board is committed to taking appropriate action if any breach of that code is proven.
“David Coote is currently suspended and undergoing an ongoing disciplinary process by PGMOL, separate from the investigation into this issue, which will be conducted independently by the FA.
“We will not provide any further comments at this stage.”
A spokesperson for the Football Association informed Sky Sports News: “These are extremely grave allegations, and we are carrying out an urgent investigation.”
Leeds United are aware of the recent accusations but have chosen not to comment at this moment.
