Police Officers Beat Referees in Zugdidi

The main topic of the last tournament of the Georgian Football National Championship was an incident in Zugdidi between Football Clubs Baia and Dinamo; the chief referee Lasha Silagava wrote in the protocol that after the match the law enforcement officers broke into the referee’s room, cursed and insulted him, and physically assaulted match delegate Enuki Tevzadze and the fourth referee Aleksandre Krichashvili.

The fact is astonishing and incredible. We just hope the incident will be properly investigated and offenders will be punished under the law.

The incident is beyond the competence of the football rules and naturally the discipline committee of the Football Federation cannot punish the offenders.

The disciplinary committee will hold session in near future and supposedly they will impose financial sanctions on Baia and will disqualify its stadium (namely the training base). The Football Federation cannot take any other measures – the offenders shall be punished under the law.

It is noteworthy that it is not first physical assault of Krichashvili in Zugdidi; police officers beat him after the match between Baia and Gagra in 2009 too. Unfortunately, nobody was punished then…

“Lasha Silagava wrote everything in the protocol and the disciplinary committee will discuss the issue. I am concerned with the accident, but the sanctions can be imposed only by the disciplinary committee,” Levan Paniashvili, head of referee department at the Georgian Football Federation said.

“Lelo”