April 29 – A Swiss referee is in hot water after using an expletive towards a player during a top-flight league match at the weekend.
Pascal Erlachner faces a fine and possibly a ban according to the Swiss federation.
“Ten minutes before the end of the game, the referee insulted Vero Salatic by saying he was an arsehole,” refereeing director Carlo Bertolini told the federation’s website.
The official was apparently upset after a shot by Grasshoppers captain Vero Salatic hit him in the back during a match against FC Thun.
“(Erlachner) immediately realised that he made a mistake and deeply regretted his action. Therefore, he apologised immediately after the match to the parties involved,” Bertolini added. “Such an incident should not happen to a referee, of course. We require all sides to display fair play, and the referee has to lead by example.
“Until now, Erlachner has displayed exemplary behaviour and has only been noticed by people thanks to his good performances. It’s unfortunate that this one-off slip-up has happened.”
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