The referee recently assaulted in Guadalajara receives recognition from the RFEF

The sad act took place last 29 March in the town of Torija, in the province of Guadalajara. After refereeing two matches without major incidents from a sporting point of view, Abdessamad Mokhtar El Kharaifi, 23 years old, was savagely assaulted along with his brother, who was keeping time, outside the sports hall where the matches had taken place by a group of people whom the referee identifies as players and supporters of the home team.

The outcome of the brutal ambush has left Abde with five metal plates in his face, after having his jaw broken by a kick and coming close to losing his left eye, where the bleeding from the wound is still visible. He is still taking medication, has trouble sleeping, and suffers nightmares that remind him of the blows inflicted by a group of heartless individuals.

This Wednesday, during the meeting with the clubs from the 1st Division of Futsal, the referee from Guadalajara received support, affection and endorsement of his work from the president of the RFEF and representatives of all the top-tier teams.

Rafael Louzán presented a personalised Spanish National Team jersey to this young referee born in Guadalajara, who expressed his gratitude for what he described as “a great gesture and a lovely touch from the president of the RFEF, which I appreciate a lot and which I will always remember”.

With his full recovery as his main goal, Abdessamad only asks that referees “be respected just like any other person. Just as no one would think of insulting the cashier or the shop assistant when they go shopping, a referee should also be respected. I, as a referee on the pitch, cannot disrespect a player, someone in the stands, or anyone on or off the field. I see that lately, the lack of respect towards referees is being normalised and that is something that should stop,” he concludes.