THE BUNDESLIGA GAME between Cologne and Mainz was called off 40 minutes before kick-off after the referee was found injured in his hotel room, following what police called an “apparent suicide attempt”.
Police say the official, Babak Rafati, was found in the morning with injuries and “no sign of any involvement by a third party.”
Cologne police spokesman Andre Fassbender says “it certainly looks like” a suicide attempt. Details on Rafati’s condition were not immediately available.
Cologne says they were told less than two hours before the game the referee was unavailable, and a replacement could not be found on such short notice.
Mainz says the German Football League abandoned the game after consulting both clubs.
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