In the past few hours, European football stadiums have witnessed a new and alarming wave of violence and threats against referees, in incidents ranging from serious death threats in the Italian league to strange incidents involving physical assault using a scooter in Turkish stadiums, which reopens the issue of stadium security and the safety of referees.
Italian derby crisis: Death threats and security measures in place
In Italy, specifically following the controversial "Derby d'Italia," Italian police advised referee Federico La Penna to take precautionary measures and only leave his home when absolutely necessary. This swift security action came in response to a barrage of death threats the referee received via social media, according to local media reports.
The match, which saw league leaders Inter Milan defeat Juventus 3-2 in the 25th round, was marked by significant tension and widespread protests. The crisis erupted after the referee's decision to send off Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu with a second yellow card in the 42nd minute, following a foul deemed "phantom" by Juventus management and fans against Alessandro Bastoni. This sparked outrage among the fans and made the referee a target of online criticism.
The scooter incident in Türkiye: one of the strangest assault cases
Moving on to Turkey, an unprecedented incident occurred in the amateur league in Malatya province, where assistant referee Hakan Başkurt suffered a severe head injury that briefly knocked him unconscious. The incident involved a fan throwing a scooter from the stands at the referee, causing a deep gash above his eyebrow.
The incident occurred before the end of the match between Darendspor and Hekimhan Belediyespor, in protest against the referee's decision to disallow a goal for the home team due to offside. Turkish security forces intervened immediately and arrested the suspect, who was questioned before being released pending further investigation.
General context and impact of violence in sports
These incidents come amid a growing trend of violence against referees in global football, and particularly in Turkey, where football has recently suffered similar incidents that have sometimes led to league suspensions. The scooter incident raises serious questions about security measures at amateur stadiums and how such large, solid objects were allowed into the stands.
These incidents are expected to have wide-ranging effects, with the Turkish Football Federation likely to launch a broad investigation to review safety standards, while Italian sports authorities may impose strict sanctions on the instigators, amid international demands from FIFA and UEFA for a safe environment for referees to ensure the integrity and continuity of sporting competitions.
