A referee was assaulted a few weeks ago at the Berghem Sport sports park by a player from RKKSV from Kruisstraat/Rosmalen. Also in Boxtel, an arbitrator was hit on the field. “Something really needs to be done, otherwise things will go completely wrong.”
AS Roma coach José Mourinho who attacked the referee after the lost Europa League final, supporters of the Italian club who did the same at the airport and supporters of NAC Breda who threw beer cans at the car of referee Joey Kooij. Just a few examples this week of physical or verbal violence towards referees in professional football. But there are also plenty of examples in amateur football.
“He slapped me from behind.”
Every now and then a video leaks out via the Internet, but that is by no means the case in all incidents. Nor the abuse in a duel on Saturday 9 May between Berghem Sport 2 and RKKSV 2. A match where nothing was at stake, but which got completely out of hand with five red cards. The game ended with a brawl between players, with the referee analyzing the situation from a distance. “But suddenly a player from RKKSV hit me from behind. I then walked off the field, just like the Berghem Sport players. They were also kicked.”
The referee sees this as a low point. “I see it as a one-off and hope it stays here. What is disappointing is that I haven’t heard anything from the KNVB yet. Not that I’m waiting for a lot of pity, but I had a small message from the union appreciated. The only thing I did get is the appeal of RKKSV.”
“Many clubs look away or appeal.”
According to him, the KNVB should take tough action against fighters. “Many clubs ignore this behavior of their players or they appeal. While it is so important that they intervene. I hope that players also address each other about their behavior. A referee can sometimes make a mistake, that is human. Do you think a player himself never makes a mistake on the field?”
The incident has hit the referee association COVS Oss-Uden and the surrounding area hard. “I have been whistling for eight years now and it is the first time that one of our referees has been physically assaulted. Terrible. We notice that verbal violence is increasing considerably both inside and outside the line. Among seniors and youth. Physical violence is not new either, but it is against referees,” said secretary Teun van Breda.
He has close contact with, among others, COVS Den Bosch, where a referee was recently hit. “Together with other departments, we have thought about striking during an entire round of play. We are also thinking about temporarily suspending matches or refusing to whistle at ‘problem clubs’.”
Next Saturday is the general members meeting of the COVS. Teun: “We want the KNVB and national COVS to take tough measures. Nothing justifies using physical force if you disagree with a referee.”
The KNVB indicates in a response that the investigation is ongoing and no penalties have yet been handed out.