Uefa appoint ethics inspector to head up David Coote investigation as Premier League referee remains suspended after being 'filmed snorting white powder during Euro 2024'

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Uefa has appointed an ethics and disciplinary inspector to investigate under-fire referee David Coote in the wake of his suspension.

Coote, 42, is currently suspended by referees' body PGMOL, who launched an investigation after a video emerged of him calling former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp a 'German ****' and the Reds  's***'.

A separate damning video was then published on Wednesday evening of a man alleged to be Coote snorting a white powder in a hotel room while he was officiating at last summer's Euros.

If the footage is genuine then it will be damning for the 42-year-old's future in professional football with the termination of his association with the PGMOL a likely outcome.

The PGMOL issued a statement in the wake of the video purporting to show Coote using a rolled up banknote to snort a white powder off a table and now Uefa have revealed they have launched their own investigation as well. 

Uefa has appointed an ethics and disciplinary inspector to investigate referee David Coote

UEFA suspended Coote on Wednesday and are now investigating whether the Nottinghamshire-born match official has violated the organisation's disciplinary regulations

A video has emerged of suspended Premier League referee Coote allegedly snorting white powder in a hotel room, just days after a footage appeared to show him calling Liverpool 's***'

Uefa suspended Coote on Wednesday and are now investigating whether the Nottinghamshire-born match official has violated the organisation's disciplinary regulations.

A statement read: 'A Uefa ethics and disciplinary inspector has been appointed to evaluate a potential violation of the UEFA disciplinary regulations by the referee Mr David Coote.

'Further information regarding this matter will be made available in due course.'

The latest video - reported to have been filmed in a UEFA-funded hotel room - 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.

Mail Sport reported on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia could be a potential escape route for Coote. However, the emergence of the latest video will surely put paid to any switch to the Middle East.

The Sun, who obtained the clip, claim Coote sent it to a friend from his hotel room.

Meanwhile, the PGMOL are also investigating the separate videos as they weigh up potential disciplinary action that could result in Coote having his employment with the body terminated.

The referees organisation chaired by Howard Webb labelled Coote's current circumstances as 'very serious' but also stressed the match official's welfare must be protected.

The 42-year-old official (right) was initially suspended after a video emerged online of him calling former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp (left) a 'German ****' and the Reds 's***'

Coote was suspended by refereeing chiefs PGMOL with immediate effect pending a full probe

A PGMOL spokesperson said: ‘We are 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.’

It has since been revealed that no Premier League referee has ever been subjected to drug testing by the PGMOL, with calls now being made to change the process.