Referee Babak Rafati during the match between VfB Stuttgart and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Stuttgart, southern Germany, October 15, 2011
German referee Babak Rafati tried to commit suicide before he was due to take charge of Saturday’s Bundesliga game between Cologne and Mainz 05 but is now in a stable condition, police and the German football association said.
The 41-year-old official failed to show up for the fixture, which had to be postponed, and police in his native city of Hanover confirmed Rafati had attempted to kill himself in his Cologne hotel room.
«Rafati is in a stable condition,» DFB president Theo Zwanziger told reporters inside Cologne stadium.
Zwanziger described how Rafati was found after his absence at the stadium was noted.
«Once he did not show up, because he is always on time, (the assistant referees) tried to reach him by phone in his room,» Zwanziger said.
«They went (to the hotel) and found the door locked. They knocked, no one opened, then they quickly opened the door with the help of hotel staff. They told me what they found.
«I would ask you to save me from giving out details. He was in the bath tub — and if after these few hours his prognosis is that he is out of danger, then the (assistant referees) are to thank for that.
«I think the most important news is that, health-wise, Babak Rafati is stable. Obviously he will be in (intensive care) in the coming days and will need intensive treatment.»
Zwanziger travelled to Cologne after cancelling his planned assignment to watch Germany’s women’s international match against Kazakhstan.
Cologne had earlier said the game was called off because they could not find another referee to deputise.
«The referee, Babak Rafati, did not show up and it was impossible to find a replacement at short notice,» Cologne spokesman Tobias Schmidt said.
Cologne police spokesman Carsten Moellers said officers had gone to the hotel where the referee was staying before the game.
«At 1345 (local time, 1245 GMT) there was an operation in the hotel due to the presence of an injured man,» he told reporters.
The game was due to kick off at 1430 GMT.
Rafati, a banker of Iranian descent, has been a DFB referee since 1997 and made his Bundesliga debut in 2005 in the match Cologne against Mainz 05.
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