marinabays Former Premier League referee David Coote has hid his sexual orientation while on duty, fearing discrimination due to being gay.

Coote, 42, admitted the pressure of his job affected his behavior, which led to his dismissal by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PGMOL) match-refereeing body in December 2024. marinabays

“I’m gay and I’ve had a long-standing problem with my self-esteem,” Coote told The Sun. “I’ve been discriminated against while I was a referee, and when you add my sexuality, it makes it even more difficult.”

Coote, who has refereed more than 100 top-flight games, told The Sun in

a separate statement on Monday that he had been inappropriate. “This was a very difficult time in my life and I take full responsibility for my actions. “I deeply

regret the way I behaved in a way that was offensive to others and the way I portrayed the football I love. I hope you all understand that these behaviours occurred in a very private moment, at a very low point in my life, and do not reflect who I am or who I am.” Coote

has felt ashamed of his sexuality since his teenage years, and only came out to his parents at the age of 21 and to friends at the age of 25. “My sexuality was not the only reason I got to that point but I would not have told the truth if I had not said I was gay, and I felt very uncomfortable hiding it. “

I hid my emotions as a young referee and I hid my sexuality as well. It’s a good quality for a referee but it’s a terrible thing to do as a human being. It makes me behave in a certain way,”

Coote has been suspended since November 11, 2024, for biased comments towards Liverpool and former manager Jurgen Klopp. Two days later, he was caught on camera by The Sun after being caught using cocaine while refereeing at Euro 2024 in Germany. ( marinabays )