Roman Shirokov is a man of his word, but not in the way many people want him to be.
The former Russia captain hospitalized an amateur league referee after not being awarded a penalty at a Celebrity Cup.
According to the Mirror, an eye witness heard Shirokov threaten: “If you show a red one, I’ll give you (making a fist).”
Danchenko subsequently pulled out a red card and Shirakov delivered on his threat and punched him square in the face. To add insult to injury, he approached the down ref and repeatedly kicked him in the stomach as players moved in to get Shirokov away.
“I spent four to four and a half hours in the hospital, then another 15-20 minutes in the emergency room,” he explained. “They put stitches everywhere, did a bunch of examinations. And most importantly, everything seems to be fine with me.
“What does not kill you will make you stronger, as they say. Therefore, we continue to go further and continue to work.
“I want to thank everyone for the words of support, this is a difficult moment for me and my loved ones.”
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“I would like to express my sincere apologies to Nikita for such an inappropriate act committed by me,” the 39-year-old wrote on Instagram.
“I am well aware that not assigning an obvious penalty and then the red card shown cannot be a reason for waving his hands, I hope Nikita as soon as possible will return to service.
“I also want to apologise to the organisers of the tournament, my teammates, Match TV and viewers.”
