Argentinian referee is attacked by losing team after penalty shootout

Shocking moment football team chase down and attack referee after they lose penalty shootout at amateur cup final in Argentina

                   This is the shocking moment a referee was chased down and attacked by virtually an entire team’s players after they lost an amateur cup final on penalties.

The Argentinian match official tried to sprint away from the furious footballers before being mercilessly punched and kicked to the ground.

                       

This is the shocking moment a referee was chased down and attacked by virtually an entire team’s players after they lost an amateur cup final on penalties.

The Argentinian match official tried to sprint away from the furious footballers before being mercilessly punched and kicked to the ground

The attack continued in front of fans after furious La Puerta players watched rivals Sportivo Tiroles celebrate their win on Tuesday evening.

Referee Eduardo Pastorino was taken to hospital to be treated for the injuries he sustained.

Regional league president Gustavo Garcia, filmed being punched as he tried to stop the violence, also needed medical treatment.

The scandalous scenes occurred at the end of an amateur cup final in Colonia Tirolesa in the Argentinian province of Cordoba.

Several spectators were also said to have joined in the attack after jumping over the perimeter fence onto the pitch.

Footage of the moment Mr Garcia was assaulted showed a man knocking him down from behind before another kicked him as he lay on the ground by the centre circle.

Eight footballers from La Puerta and three spectators have been identified by police as the alleged aggressors.

Local reports say the losing side’s players had complained about several refereeing decisions during the game before the penalty shootout went against them and they went berserk.

Families with young children were among the fans caught up in the shocking end to the match.

It was not immediately clear how bad Mr Pastorino’s injuries were.

Last October a Brazilian footballer was charged with attempted murder after he was filmed brutally kicking a referee in the head in a game in the south of the country.

The player, William Ribeiro of Sport Club São Paulo, attacked the referee after he awarded a foul against him during a league game away against Guarani.

The game was halted for nearly 15 minutes while the referee, Rodrigo Crivellaro, was taken to hospital. He was later released.

Video footage from the match showed how Ribeiro booted Crivellaro to the ground before taking another horrible kick to his head as the ref lay helpless on the pitch.

In February 2016, referee César Flores, 48, was shot dead by a player he had just sent off during a game in Cordoba, Argentina.