The job of a football referee is an incredibly nerve-wracking job. Referees are constantly scolded by players, coaches and fans. Not everyone can handle this kind of pressure. However, mass hatred cannot be called the most terrible aspect of a referee's career. After all, sometimes his decisions lead to death.
A terrible incident occurred in Argentina in 2016. The usual match of amateur teams was drawing to a close. In one of the moments, the defender Jorge Barrionuevo boiled up and got into a fight with several opponents. The referee did not like this behavior and he showed the player a red card.
Barrionuevo went to the locker room and returned a few minutes later with a revolver in his hand. Jorge wounded the referee in the head, neck and chest. The referee died a few minutes later. He went on the run and hid from the police for a long time. The killer was caught a year later, somewhere in a small shack near the Argentine border. The defender was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Shot in the back from a fan
Argentina can be called a cursed place for arbitrators. The case of Barrionuevo is not the only precedent for the assassination of a referee. By the break of the match, one of the teams was winning big. The opponent's fans were not happy with this outcome. They considered the arbitrator guilty.
At halftime, Perez sat at a small table at the edge of the field, waiting for the teams to return. An angry fan approached him and shot twice. The bullets hit the back without hitting the spine. The offender immediately jumped onto a scooter parked next to the field and disappeared.
The referee underwent an emergency operation. He escaped with a few months of recovery, after which he was able to return to work. The fan was detained the same evening.
The brother of the deceased took revenge on the judge
However, even such situations pale in comparison to the tragedy that happened in Argentine football in the 70s. There was a meeting of the top division teams — «Juventuda» and «General Caballero». At the 43rd minute, the hosts player Joaquin Macial received a red card for a rough tackle. The decision of the referee Jose Leon Begudo angered the player. Masial flew at the «offender» with his fists. Fighters are separated, after which the match continues. However, this time the referee simply pulled out a gun and shot Joaquin. Why the referee took a weapon with him on the field and how he could hide it still remains a mystery.
After the shot, panic began. Everyone rushed to run away from Begudo. Except for one person. Sitting in the stands was Masial's brother, who decided to take revenge. He also took out a gun, got to the field and killed the referee.
Shootouts at football in Argentina continue to this day. Over the years, local law enforcement agencies have not been able to solve the problem. It is hard to believe that in today's world arbitrators have to fear for their lives because of controversial decisions.