The third stage of the European League qualification did not start without incidents - during the match in Austria, one of the referees was heavily injured. The incident occurred in the 77th minute, when during the match between Grace "Sturm" and Larnaca AEK, a fan of the home team threw a full plastic cup directly at the side referee's head. Immediately after the impact, the referee fell to the ground and started bleeding from his head. The referee's head was severely injured and he was immediately given first aid. After evaluating the situation, the referee was taken to the stadium tunnel with all the players. The match was interrupted, but after 40 minutes it was completed, with the fourth match referee replacing the injured referee at the sideline. The "hero" of the match, who injured the referee with the head blow, was soon detained by the stadium security, and the "Sturm" club promises to take sanctions. The match ended with a 0:2 victory for the visitors from Cyprus.
