Sad News re Iranian Referee in Germany, Babak Rafati

[Davar]

Bundesliga news

ESPNSoccerNet

Referee attempts suicide ahead of game

November 19, 2011

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Cologne's Bundesliga match with Mainz, scheduled to be played this afternoon, has been postponed after the referee was found to have attempted suicide.


Babak Rafati was found in his hotel room ahead of the game in a state of distress.
Cologne's official website revealed the match was called off because the referee due to officiate was not able to take charge of the contest. The statement added: "A replacement is not available in the short-term."

[MahbodZ]

really sad ! specially anytime you see someone commit a suicide
He was a great ref ..

[Sly]

Well it says he attempted suicide. But what happened? Did he die or they managed to save his life?

Sad anyways.

[Farsi Zaban]

Well, he is not dead. Hopefully he'll recover and get the help he needs.

[MahbodZ]

Well, he is not dead. Hopefully he'll recover and get the help he needs.

good to see you back man ...

[MahbodZ]

i read somewhere he didnt have great seasons in last couple years and German federation removed his name for 2012 season ! not sure if it is true ..

[MahbodZ]

Soccer: un arbitre tente de se suicider
Samedi 19 novembre 2011
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Babak Rafati (Photo PC)



BERLIN - La rencontre Cologne-Mayence, comptant pour la 13e journée du Championnat d'Allemagne, a été reportée samedi quarante minutes avant son coup d'envoi, a annoncé le club de Cologne, en raison d'une tentative de suicide de l'arbitre.

"L'arbitre s'est tout à coup trouvé dans l'incapacité" d'assurer l'arbitrage du match, selon le club. La police de Hanovre (nord) a ensuite indiqué que l'arbitre retenu pour ce match, Babak Rafati, 41 ans, avait tenté de se suicider. Selon des médias locaux, il a été retrouvé dans sa chambre d'hôtel de Cologne après s'être ouvert les veines.
D'origine iranienne, Rafati avait effectué ses débuts en Bundesliga il y a six ans en arbitrant déjà une rencontre Cologne-Mayence.

Cologne, 11e, devait affronter Mayence, 14e à partir de 15h30 (14h30 GMT). Aucune nouvelle date pour le match n'a encore été annoncée.

[Hooshmand]

Well that's end of his career

[YePaDoPa]

This is a bit more detail about him:

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15544161,00.html

[Payam]

COLOGNE, Germany (AP)—A Bundesliga referee was found bleeding in his hotel bathtub following an apparent suicide attempt hours before he was due to take charge of Saturday’s game between Cologne and Mainz.

The game was called off after Babak Rafati was found in his hotel room earlier Saturday “after sustaining injuries with no sign of any involvement by a third party,” Cologne police spokesman Andre Fassbender told The Associated Press.

“It certainly looks like (a suicide attempt), yes,” Fassbender said.
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German Football Federation (DFB) president Theo Zwanziger said Rafati’s condition was stable but that he would need “intensive treatment” and be hospitalized for some time.

Zwanziger said the referee’s three assistants told him that they had tried unsuccessfully to reach Rafati by phone two hours before kickoff to prepare for the match. When he didn’t respond to knocks on his door, they got hotel staff to open the door.

Zwanziger said Rafati was “lying in the bathtub and a lot of blood could be seen.”

Everything was “fully normal” when the assistants met Rafati on Friday evening, and they told Zwanziger that it was not unusual for him not to meet them for breakfast as “it was often so.”

There was no immediate word on what might have led to the apparent suicide attempt, and Zwanziger said he could not give information on the reasons behind it.

“I can only tell you the pressure on our referees is tremendously high for various reasons,” Zwanziger said.

The 41-year-old Rafati has been a referee for the DFB since 1997 and a top-division referee since 2005. He has taken charge of 84 Bundesliga matches and been a FIFA referee since 2008.

“I didn’t believe such a thing was possible in such a close environment to a Bundesliga game,” said German Football League (DFL) president Reinhard Rauball. “I’m very happy that his life is no longer in danger and he could be rescued on time.”

Cologne said a replacement referee for Saturday’s match could not be found at such short notice.

“Between 2 and 2:15 p.m. we got the message that the referee was in an accident,” Cologne sporting director Volker Finke said. “It’s appropriate and correct that the game can’t take place.”

Mainz said it was canceled by the DFL after consulting both clubs.

A new date had yet to be set for the game.

Coaches and players expressed shock at the news.

“It’s an incident to think about because you see that people in general— and especially referees—are under tremendous pressure,” said Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes. “These are things that make you think.”

Schalke player Lewis Holtby said he got “goosebumps” when he heard the news.

“Even in football, humanity should remain paramount. Referees aren’t machines. They’re also only people. It puts someone under enormous pressure to referee in front of 60,000 or 80,000 fans.”

[lordofmordor]

I dont know if he lucky or unlucy to have survived. Now, he will be out of the job and more depression to deal with, something he did not handle well.

[daei24]

Last year (last three years) Rafati was choosen as worth ref in the league and this is totally true. He makes huge mistakes and he already lost his spot for international games.
I doubt his action was about his profession.
It has to be smth private related which i doubt it will come out for public....

[daei24]

By the way just write on facebook anti babak rafati and there you can see how many dislikes he has

[Niloufar]

omg was it him that committed suicide? Heard it on tv in the news but they didnt mention his name..
So sad to hear this story,but glad he survived..wt mental support hopefully he gets back to his normal life(if he can officiate at all).

[Mahdi]

Last year (last three years) Rafati was choosen as worth ref in the league and this is totally true. He makes huge mistakes and he already lost his spot for international games.
I doubt his action was about his profession.
It has to be smth private related which i doubt it will come out for public....

By the way just write on facebook anti babak rafati and there you can see how many dislikes he has

Nice Reza....a guy commits suicide and you have to come up with how Germans don't like him as a referee and his mistakes...as if that matters. Always have to prove that you are a douche, right?