MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Referee Halil Umut Miller was attacked on the field by the president of a major Turkish soccer team, and he desperately tried to cover his head to protect himself from kicks from angry fans.
Monday’s shocking scene at the end of a Turkish league match was an example of violence and abuse directed at officials, which on Wednesday were alleged to have included extreme incidents such as car bombs.
“It is the responsibility of all those who love the ‘beautiful game’ to take action and do something. Before it is too late, before this cancer kills football,” Pierluigi Collina, head of FIFA’s referees’ committee, said on Wednesday.
Miller was taken to hospital after being punched by MKE Ankaracucu president Faruk Koca at the end of a 1-1 draw with Kaykur Rezispor. He fell to the ground and was also kicked in a melee when fans stormed the pitch after Rizespor scored a last-minute equaliser. Miller was released from the hospital on Wednesday.
Coca and two other people were placed in pretrial detention, facing charges of causing injury to a public employee. The Turkish Football Federation suspended all league matches in response.
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“A referee cannot be overpowered because of a decision he made, even if it was wrong. His car cannot be blown up or set on fire because of a penalty kick,” Collina said in a statement, giving no examples. “Unfortunately this is not an exaggeration, as car bombs and setting fire to Cars are something that has already happened. It has happened in some countries, and not rarely.
In Brazil, the president of fourth division club Sergipe was suspended after he entered the field and punched a referee in March. Last month, an official at the Brazilian club Corinthians tried to break into the VAR room after one of the team’s players was expelled.
English referee Anthony Taylor and his family were forced to be escorted away by security at an airport in Hungary after Roma fans targeted him and threw a chair in his direction after the Europa League final in May.
Football has long been concerned about how abuse at the top level of the sport could lead to a rise in incidents at amateur and youth level.
“The image of Khalil Omot lying on the ground, with his hands protecting his head while his attackers kicked him, as well as the image of the bruise under his eye, is horrific,” Colina said. “But what is even scarier is knowing that there are thousands of referees around the world who are being verbally and physically abused at the lower levels of the game all over the world, without being reported by the media.”
A referees’ charity in England has warned that incidents like the one in Turkey could soon be repeated in the Premier League.
“Desensitization to referee abuse has been left to fester for too long, and an incident like this, broadcast live on TV, is just around the corner in UK football unless we have a significant change in attitude and culture towards the game.” Martin Cassidy, chief executive of Ref Support UK, said: “Officials are at all levels of the game. For too long, referees around the world have been seen as fair game regardless of the age of the referee. Rulers are an endangered species due to mistreatment, threats and attacks.”
Despite these concerns, the body that manages referees and officials in England said on Wednesday that there was a “significant decrease” in unacceptable behavior this season compared to the same period last season.
Professional Match Officials (PGMOL) have clamped down on what they described as behavior on the field and on the sidelines at all levels of professional football in England.
As a result, it said there had been a 37% reduction in charges against match referees around the match, falling from 19 to 12. According to its figures, there had also been a 43% reduction in charges relating to group confrontations (61 to 35) and 10%. Reducing “artistic misconduct” fees (70 to 63).
“Cultural change will not happen overnight, and it is still early days, but we are moving in the right direction and our officials are successfully implementing our part of the collective football effort to reset behaviours, protect reputation and enhance the positive image of the team.” “The game is for future generations,” said PGMOL President Howard Webb.
There was an 88% increase in warnings about dissent actions from players, which was likely a result of the PGMOL campaign. The numbers rose from 966 to 1,813 alerts.
Mark Bullingham, FA chief executive, said: “This shows that our new approach is making an impact at the top of the pyramid, and we need to maintain this and ensure these positive changes are applied to the whole game.”
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Football and its match officials are under increasing pressure as a result of a spate of violent attacks on referees and assistant referees. These attacks have prompted former referee Pierluigi Collina to speak out, warning that the sport risks being “killed” if these incidents continue. The latest attack comes in the wake of several others, highlighting a worrying trend that has raised concerns about the safety of match officials and the future of football. As the sport continues to grapple with this issue, Collina’s words serve as a stark reminder of the need for immediate action to address the issue before it spirals out of control.