A football player attacked the referee of an under-17 match in Loule

The 17-year-old footballer who attacked the referee in the second division county under-17 game on Sunday in Loule, Faro district, has been identified and charged, a GNR source told Lusa this Monday.

The attack on referee Pedro Paulo during the Campinense-Olhanense game was condemned this Monday by the União de Núcleos do Algarve, which brings together the three groups of referees united in the Algarve Football Association (AFA).

After being ordered to be sent off, the Campinense footballer “behaved in a cowardly manner towards the referee, hitting him twice in the stomach area”, he blamed in a statement on an association of factions.

After the “violent action,” the game was immediately interrupted and, as noted in the same note, “procedures were initiated to initiate a criminal case against the aggressor.”

Contacted by Lusa, a GNR source confirmed that the match referee was attacked by a player in the 55th minute of the game at Municipal Field No. 2 in Loule.

The 17-year-old athlete was identified and charged and GNR prepared a report and informed the court.

The match was immediately abandoned and the safety of the referee, who did not require medical attention, was guaranteed by PPR soldiers present at the scene who expressed a desire to initiate criminal proceedings, the same source said.

Football referee groups in the Algarve highlight that this is “the third time in the 2023/24 season that referees have been attacked in the performance of their duties,” calling on the competent authorities to “take decisive and swift action to punish the attacker in an exemplary manner.”

“It is vital that justice is served so that sport can be played and enjoyed in a safe and respectful environment for all involved. We believe that a quick and vigorous response will send a clear message that violence will not be tolerated,” the union emphasizes. Certainly.