February 27 – A pipe bomb exploded outside the home of a Cypriot referee early today, the latest in a string of threats and attacks against officials and their families.
According to Reuters, the explosion damaged a vehicle belonging to the wife of a 38-year-old first division referee. The vehicle was parked outside their home close to the coastal town of Larnaca at the time.
Referees on the Mediterranean island have increasingly been targeted in recent years, much of it in a similar fashion.
In October, a pipe bomb was placed at the entrance to the Cyprus Referee Association’s Nicosia clubhouse on Monday, causing minor damage but heightening concerns about protecting match officials. Two weeks ago before that, firebomb was tossed at a referee’s home in Limassol.
A year ago, the Cypriot FA postponed all first division matches for a weekend after a bomb damaged the car of Leontios Trattos, one of the country’s top referees, prompting a boycott by his colleagues.
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