Montevideo (AFP)
Swiss Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), called on the authorities in Uruguay to ensure safety in sports, after “disgraceful acts of violence” were committed against a referee during a match in the opening league of the first division.
Infantino described what happened in Montevideo, when assistant referee Federico Picardo suffered an injury to his nose due to throwing stones at the end of the match between Racing and Peñarol, as “shameful.” The accident led to the suspension of the local championship.
The FIFA president wrote on his Instagram account: “The safety of referees and their assistants must be guaranteed at all moments.”
He added, “Therefore, I call on the concerned authorities to hold those responsible accountable, and to continue to put in place appropriate deterrent measures to ensure the elimination of violence in sports.”
The Uruguayan Federation confirmed that Picardo received medical treatment and is in “good health,” calling on all those involved in sporting events to raise “public awareness” against acts of violence.
He added that the person who assaulted the ruling had been identified, but the spokesman for the Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that at the judicial level, his identity has not yet been determined, and that the police are leading the investigation to obtain information about him through cameras and witnesses.
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