© EuroFootball.com
The news of a referee attempting suicide shook German football on Saturday. As a result, the match between the "Koln" and "Mainz" clubs was cancelled.
Police and league officials confirmed the information that 41-year-old Babak Rafati was found in a hotel having cut his veins.
Since 1997, the banker-turned-referee's condition is currently stable, but he remains in the intensive care unit. According to law enforcement officials, the incident occurred just a few hours before the start of the match.
"Rafati is always punctual, so when he didn't show up on time, the assistants immediately tried to call him," said federation president Theo Zwazinger. "Then they went to his hotel room, but the door was locked. Nobody answered their knocks, so they had to call the hotel staff for help. They saw a terrible sight."
He continued: "I think the most important thing is that Rafati's health condition is currently stable. Three assistants saved his life. However, the unanswered question remains why a young man saw so much hopelessness in his life. I can only say that referees face enormous pressure, so we need to find a solution to this problem."
