William Ribeiro is facing attempted murder charges after he disgustingly kicked referee Rodrigo Crivellaro in the head and knocked him unconscious during a match earlier this week. The shocking events unfolded after Crivellaro awarded Guarani de Venancio Aires a free kick against Ribeiro’s São Paulo de Rio Grande team during the second half of their match.
Sao Paulo-RS immediately terminated the Brazilian soccer player’s contract and announced that they will pursue “all possible legal measures” regarding the incident, which club president Deivid Goulart Pereira described as “revolting.”
“On the exact day when all the red-green family gathered to celebrate the 113th anniversary of Sao Paulo RS, our club faced one of the saddest episodes of its history, a fateful scene that shocked all people who love not only Gaucho football but all those who just love the sport in general,” Goulart Pereira said in a statement.
“Rest assured, we are sorry and deeply ashamed,” he added. “We send all the apologies in the world to the injured referee and his family as well as apologizing to the public in general for the lamentable scene seen today.
Footage of the kick can be seen below:
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“His attack was very strong and violent, kicking the referee in the head and making him pass out,” Police investigator Vinicius Assuncao told UOL. “The referee had no chance of defending himself.”
After his attack, Ribeiro was arrested at the stadium and taken to a local police station. Meanwhile, Crivellaro was taken to a local hospital before getting released Tuesday.
The match was completely halted on Monday and finished up on Tuesday. Guarani went on to win the Divisao Acesso match 1-0.
