A goalkeeper in one of Germany's lower leagues has been banned by the local football association for eight years after attacking a referee.
The goalkeeper, named Samet -- due to legal reasons in Germany, it is not possible to give his full name -- also faces criminal charges following the attack.
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He jumped on the referee from behind during a match between SV Oppum and CSV Marathon II in September after the hosts were awarded a controversial 80th-minute equaliser.
The visitors believed the goal had been scored from an offside position, and the resulting row with the referee led to a red card for one CSV player.
As the game was about to continue, the goalkeeper stormed out of his box and attacked the referee from behind.
The match was immediately suspended and the goalkeeper's club, CSV Marathon, ordered a restraining order against the player coming to the club's premises. However, he was not expelled from the club straight away due to legal reasons.
"Players like him won't get a second chance at CSV Marathon Krefeld," the club's general manager, Axel Wiebus, told ESPN.
The club pushed for the maximum ban to be imposed on the keeper, and on Thursday, the local FA handed the player an eight-year ban.
"We can now expel the person from our club," Wiebus said. "Attacking the referee is a no-no.
"It's honorable work we are doing, and things like that just take away all the fun.
"We'd rather focus on our great work with our partner club SC Hellas. It tarnishes everything."
