an amateur player banned for life after the aggression of a referee

An amateur footballer playing in Limoges in Regional 3 (8th division) has been suspended for life after the attack, in March, of a referee who suffered a head injury, we learned on Wednesday from the Regional League of New Aquitaine.

On March 19, this 19-year-old player from Vigenal FC, a club in a priority district of Limoges, attacked a referee, insulting and hitting him, during a meeting against Ruffec (Charente).

This 38-year-old istant referee, struck in the face, had to be transported to the University Hospital of Limoges, victim of a cranial trauma and a fracture in the face, with a total incapacity for work greater than 8 days.

The disciplinary committee, which met on May 11, pronounced the life suspension of the player involved, as revealed by Le Populaire du Center. “The player no longer has the right to play club football. He can no longer claim a license“, declared Saïd Ennjimi, president of the Regional League and former international referee, while specifying that the sanctioned player kept the possibility of appealing.

Two spectators of the match, also dismissed from Vigenal FC, were also banned for life from the stadiums for having struck the referee. He received a two-match suspension for reacting to insults in a manner deemed excessive. “The commission felt he could have had a different attitude on the pitchSaid Ennjimi said.

The Vigenal club suffers for its part of a withdrawal of eight points in the standings, recording its relegation to Departmental 1 (9th division). “It saddens us to come to this, but if we want to continue to have referees on the field, these sanctions are necessary. Nothing justifies such violence“, argues Saïd Ennjimi.

According to him, around fifteen serious cases of physical violence have been recorded out of 80,000 matches played over the season in New Aquitaine. The FFF lost 4,500 referees between 2016 and 2021 and the N.1 cause of their demotivation is insecurity, mentioned by 54% of those questioned in a study carried out by the Federation in 2022.