Video: Saudi referee survives a public assault attempt in Indonesia
A Saudi referee narrowly escaped an attempted attack by angry fans in Indonesia after a controversial match.
During the AFC Champions League match between Indonesian team Persib Bandung and Thai team Ratchaburi, chaos erupted at the end as Indonesian fans stormed the pitch in discontent. The match concluded with a 1-0 victory for Persib, but they were eliminated from the tournament, as they needed to win by more than three goals following a 3-0 defeat in Thailand. When the Saudi referee, Majed Al-Shammari, announced the end of the match, hundreds of home supporters rushed towards the center of the pitch, attempting to confront the officiating crew, whom they blamed for the outcome of the game. Reports suggested that the fans' anger was particularly directed at Al-Shammari, as they perceived his decisions as pivotal in their team's loss. Local security forces promptly intervened, forming a protective barrier around the referee and his assistants, and they managed to escort them out amidst a storm of projectiles and jeers from the crowd. In response to the incident, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has begun gathering official reports from match observers to assess the situation and potentially take further action against the events that transpired.