A Russian assistant referee was given a life ban on Monday after assaulting a player during a league match.
The incident occurred at the end of Sunday’s game in Grozny between Amkar Perm and local side Terek when a raging Musa Kadyrov dropped his flag and ran on to the pitch, attacking startled 18-year-old Amkar defender Ilya Krichmar.
‘The ref blew the final whistle and I started walking to our bench when suddenly someone came from behind, pushed me to the ground and began kicking and punching me,’ Krichmar said.
Kick him while he is down: Kadyrov takes a few swings at Amkar defender Ilya Krichmar
He added: ‘Terek players then joined the attack. Someone grabbed me by the throat, another hit me…bloodying my face.
‘Thank God, my team-mates came to the rescue. Special thanks to Vlasov from Terek. We had known each other from a youth academy in St Petersburg and he helped me escape.’
Local authorities took swift action.
‘He (Kadyrov) has only worked on a regional level but we made a decision to ban him for life, therefore he won’t be able to officiate matches at any level,’ Chechen soccer chief Lom-Ali Ibragimov told R-Sport.
Kadyrov said Krichmar had insulted him but the player denied the allegation.
‘We weren’t happy with the officiating, words had been exchanged but I had never said anything personal about him or his mother,’ Krichmar said. ‘I know how sensitive Chechen people are.’Former FIFA referee Alexei Spirin, who was working as an assessor during Sunday’s match, was shocked by the episode.
‘In all my refereeing career I have never seen anything like it. This guy should not be a referee,’ Spirin said. ‘He had no clue about rules and even worse, attacked a player.
‘On a scale of one to 10, I’d give him a zero and I’m writing a special report. He should not be allowed to officiate again.’
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