Suspended Premier League referee David Coote is the subject of another investigation by the Football Association, this time following allegations that he discussed the possibility of booking a player with a friend before a match.

Coote denies any wrongdoing, according to British newspaper The Sun, which published the allegations.

On Tuesday, The Sun newspaper said the friend had jokingly told Coote to issue a yellow card to then-Leeds United player Ezgjan Alioski during a second-tier Championship match against West Bromwich Albion in 2019 so that he could place a bet with bookmakers.

The newspaper alleges that after Coote booked the player, he messaged the supporter back to say: “I hope you backed as discussed.”

Said the FA: “These are very serious allegations, and we are investigating as a matter of urgency.”

The Sun’s story included a statement from Coote, in which he said: “Whatever issues I may have had in my personal life, they have never affected my decision-making on the field.