Lebanese Soccer Team, Coach Assault Referees after Penalty Called (Video)

Juan Cole 03/09/2013

A Lebanese soccer/ football referee is quitting after having been assaulted for a call he made on the field at a match last weekend in a game between al-Nahda and Al-Salam Zgharta. He says he felt his life was in danger, and is resigning in an attempt to force Lebanese sports authorities to put in more protections for referees.

The attack, captured by a local Lebanese television station, has become an internet sensation.

About the Author

Juan Cole is the founder and chief editor of Informed Comment. He is Richard P. Mitchell Professor of History at the University of Michigan and an adjunct professor, Gulf Studies Center, Qatar University. He is author of, among many other books, Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires and The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Follow him on Twitter at @jricole or the Informed Comment Facebook Page