October 06, (THEWILL) – After purposefully kicking a referee in the head during a match, a Brazilian football player now faces attempted murder charges.
In a game against Guarani de Venancio Aires, William Ribeiro of lower-league São Paulo de Rio Grande reacted furiously after referee Rodrigo Crivellaro failed to award his team a free-kick.
He kicked Crivellaro twice, the second time while he was on the ground, knocking him out. Ribeiro was arrested at the stadium and Crivellaro was transferred to a local hospital.
Vinicius Assuncao, the chief of the Venancio Aires Civil Police, told Brazilian news source UOL that Ribeiro was being charged with attempted murder since it appeared he was planning to kill Crivellaro. Ribeiro has also been released on bond, according to UOL, after earlier assaulting another referee as well as a fan.
Crivellaro was released from the hospital on Tuesday morning and stated that he has yet to see the video of the incident, which occurred on the 113rd anniversary of Sao Paulo de Rio Grande.
Ribeiro’s contract has been cancelled, according to Sao Paulo club president Delvid Goulart.
Goulart said: “On the exact day when all the red-green family gathered to celebrate the 113th anniversary of Sao Paulo RS, our club faced one of the saddest episodes of its history, a fateful scene that shocked all people who love not only Gaucho football but all those who just love the sport in general.
“Rest assured, we are sorry and deeply ashamed. We send all the apologies in the world to the injured referee and his family as well as apologising to the public in general for the lamentable scene seen today.
“The contract of the offending player is terminated. Furthermore, all possible legal measures in relation to the incident will be taken.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
