According to the English tabloid newspaper, Coote is said to have had a conversation with a supporter about warning Leeds player Ezgjan Alioski before a match in The Championship in October 2019.
The Sun claims to be able to confirm that Coote – who gave the player a yellow card – sent an SMS to the supporter confirming what they had agreed on.
The English Football Association, FA, has launched an investigation and takes the allegations seriously.
Premier League referee Coote denies the allegations. In a statement, he says:
"Regardless of what personal problems I may have had, they have never affected my decision-making on the pitch. I have always had the utmost respect for the game's integrity, judged matches impartially and to the best of my ability."
Coote has been suspended since November 12 and is being investigated by both the referee organization PGMOL and the FA for speaking ill and derogatorily about Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool's former manager.
The European Football Association, Uefa, is simultaneously investigating Coote regarding the video clips that have circulated – and which The Sun has published – where he is suspected of having used cocaine during the European Championship last summer.
