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A general fed up. Angry, the Alsatian referees decided to withdraw from the 800 games scheduled for this weekend in the region. This is the consequence of death threats received by one of theirs in an amateur match at the end of March. “You will not get out of it alive”, “we know where you live”, were notably cried against Anthony, a volunteer referee for ten years, who decided to hang up the whistle.
“After hearing that, it's unimaginable for me to come back to a field. I do not stop to make myself threaten with death and for Monday morning, leaving my home, look right and left in the street if someone awaits me, “said AFP this 35 -year -old business manager, father, who filed a complaint.
“Recordscence of incivility”
If such threats are a first concerning him, Anthony deplores the insults every weekend on and at the edge of the fields, by the players, the coaches and the public. “Among the youngest and up to veterans, there are always insults that burst out. “Enucle”, “son of a whore”, “alcoholic”. It is rather standard. Faced with death threats, the Alsace district arbitration committee, the most important in France with 85,000 licensees and 537 clubs, therefore decided to mark the occasion.
“We are faced with an upsurge in incivility. This type of attitude is unacceptable. I fully support the referees, ”says Marc Hoog, president of the district. The Grand-Est League said it was “united”, but maintained the regional matches.
The bad image returned by the pros
For amateur officials, the difficulties are accentuated by the drifts of professional football and its showcase in France, Ligue 1. “Championship of shit”, had been in February the president of Marseille, Pablo Longoria, contesting arbitral decisions and howling “corruption”. In March, Lyon coach Paulo Fonseca threatened a referee against head. They kept the support of their clubs despite the league sanctions.
After the very publicized behavior of Pablo Longoria and Paulo Fonseca, “I had warned my committee: I told them that it was necessary to expect overflows shortly. It did not even take three weeks, “insists Philippe Durr, president of the arbitration committee of the district of Alsace. Faced with a situation “which degenerates”, he calls for “an awareness of everyone”.
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