Referee loses finger over penalty call

A Saudi boy who was named a referee in a local football match in his neighbourhood lost his finger when an angry player attacked him with a knife after whistling a penalty for the other team, a local daily reported on Sunday.

The unnamed boy asked the Asian expatriate players if he can join them in the match in the central town of Makkah but they said there is no room for him and gave him the whistle, the Arabic language Sharq newspaper said.

“When he decided on a penalty during the match, an angry player from the other team pulled a knife and jumped on him….he cut off his finger and severely injured another finger,” the paper said.

Doctors could not restore the lost finger while police are searching for the perpetrator, who ran away after the attack, it said.

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