We know there is a turbulent relationship between athletes and the refs, but this is the first time I heard a player physically try to seriously hurt a ref.
Brazilian soccer player William Ribeiro was arrested and charged with attempted murder after kicking a referee in the head after a scrum during São Paulo de Rio Grande’s match vs. Guarani de Venancio Airese Monday.
Ribeiro was taken into custody right after the match, and in the video, it appeared the ref had missed a call leading to Ribeiro kicking him in the head. Even if he wasn’t trying to hurt him, the man is a professional soccer player. A normal kick to him may be different than if it came from a normal civilian.
Like my old football coaches used to say, don’t give the refs the power to control the game. In other words, play disciplined and focus on the game. Flip the page to watch the video of the violent kick.