He was reprimanded by the military brigade
A Brazilian footballer has been arrested after a violent attack on a referee left the man unconscious in hospital.
Sao Paulo RS’s sixth tier match against Guarani was abandoned after William Ribeiro threw referee Rodrigo Crivellaro to the floor before kicking him while he was down.
The attack occurred in the second-half, when Ribeiro’s Sao Paulo team were trailing 1-0.
After his team had fallen behind in the match, Ribeiro was clearly agitated and when Crivellaro gave a free-kick against Sao Paulo, the Brazilian launched his brutal attack on the match official.
Whilst video footage doesn't show exactly what caused the player's attack, it almost certainly has something to do with the decision made by the referee.
*Please note: the below video contains scenes which some readers may find upsetting*
https://twitter.com/realfutebolnews/status/1445219044903247874?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1445219044903247874%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goal.com%2Fen-gb%2Fnews%2Fbrazil-referee-attack-william-ribeiro-arrested-after-violent%2Fyuqmx5jjq3lc1768hq1ugr4vp
With Criverllaro unconscious on the floor, Guarani’s players quickly called for medical assistance - with the referee eventually put in the back of an ambulance before being taken to a nearby hospital for further examinations.
Ribeiro, meanwhile, was reprimanded by the military brigade in attendance before leaving the stadium in the back of their vehicle.
Sao Paulo RS were quick to release a statement offering their full support to the referee.
"The match is suspended. No championship is worth a life," wrote Sao Paulo RS's on Twitter.
"I reiterate our wish for improvement to referee Rodrigo Crivellaro. NOTHING, kids, NOTHING justifies aggression.
"We'll see what happens next, whether the match will be closed or rescheduled.
"The intern stays around here, sad, embarrassed and p***** off like all of you with this cowardice that happened today in Venancio Aires.
"We are rooting for the match referee's recovery."
https://twitter.com/231BDN/status/1445340194408910853
In addition to this, Sao Paulo RS’ president has confirmed that, following the incident, the club instantly terminated Ribeiro’s contract.
He said: "Unfortunate, regrettable and above all revolting.
"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 battered referee and his family as well as apologising to the public in general for the lamentable scene seen today.
"The contract of the offending athlete is terminated. Furthermore, all possible legal measures in relation to the incident will be taken."
Reports in Brazil have stated that Crivellaro has since regained consciousness following the attack.
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