A referee was strangled and kicked repeatedly in the stomach and legs by a player during an amateur seniors' football match in Switzerland, in an assault so frightening the official called the police himself.
The attack happened on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at the end of a 50-and-over league match between Romanel and Echandens that had just finished 4-4. The player turned on the referee as the official was walking back to the locker room.
Earlier in the game, the same player had been shown a yellow card by the referee over a decision he disputed, and his coach had substituted him off the pitch shortly afterwards.
Witnesses describe player "not himself"
A witness who watched the match told the football website Proxifoot that the player had clearly not seemed himself and was not playing with his usual form, having conceded some careless goals. The witness said the player snapped over what he considered a completely unjustified refereeing decision.
Once the final whistle had gone, the team's goalkeeper reportedly wanted to speak with the referee about the decision.
A complaint has since been filed with police. Another person involved in the match told Proxifoot that the player had tried to explain to the referee that his reaction was linked to a medical treatment he was taking, but that the referee would not listen, and a confrontation broke out. The player then attacked the referee, the source said, adding that it took three people to pull him away because he was completely out of control.
Racist insults were allegedly hurled at the referee before the situation escalated further.
Referee called police himself
The referee was left paralysed with fear after being strangled and kicked in the stomach and legs, but still managed to alert the police himself. He spent most of the night in the emergency department before deciding to file a complaint over the assault.
Romanel and Echandens are both communities in the canton of Vaud, in French-speaking Switzerland, where the seniors' 50-and-over championship is played as part of the regional amateur football league.
Hicham Matni, president of the referees' commission, said he had had enough of such incidents. He said 13 more or less similar cases had occurred in the region during the 2025/2026 season.
Related stories
No further details on the player's identity or any disciplinary action against him were given.
