A Brazilian soccer player has been charged with attempted murder after kicking a referee in the head during a match on Monday.
William Ribeiro, a player for Sao Paulo-RS, kicked referee Rodrigo Crivellaro in the head and punched him in the face after receiving a yellow card during a match with Guarani-RS, CBS Sports reported.
Video shows Ribeiro repeatedly striking Crivellaro with players, police and medical professionals rushing to the scene.
“I don’t really remember [what happened]. My refereeing colleagues told me that I gave him a yellow card. He punched me in the face, I fell to the ground, got kicked and passed out,” Crivellaro told a local radio station, according to CNN.
The police chief of Venancio Aires, Vinicius de Lourenco de Assuncao, told CNN Ribeiro was released from jail Tuesday but is facing attempted murder charges.
“His attack was very strong and violent, kicking the referee in the head and making him pass out,” the chief told a local outlet.
Crivellaro was taken out of the stadium unconscious on Monday and sent to a local hospital where he was discharged Tuesday.
“This player needs treatment because he is totally out of control. He deserves to be arrested for a long time,” he said.
Ribeiro’s team immediately ended his contact, saying they are “sorry and deeply ashamed.”
“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,” club President Deivid Goulart Pereira said.
“Rest assured, we are sorry and deeply ashamed,” he added. “We send all the apologies in the world to the injured referee and his family as well as apologizing to the public in general for the lamentable scene seen today.”