FIFA referee Juan Soto, from Venezuela, is hospitalized in Caracas after being the victim of a "quick kidnapping" last night. Fortunately, Soto is already recovering well from the injuries suffered during this incident. According to medical reports, surgery is required to repair the damage and will take place this Saturday. Soto was appointed to referee the Copa Libertadores match Morelia - The Strongest, next week, in Mexico, but CONMEBOL is expected to replace him due to this unfortunate incident. (Source: Arbitro Internacional)
Soto is remembered by his presence at the 2012 Olympic Games, where he was surrounded by the Spanish players (photo) following their surprising defeat to Honduras. Soto cautioned seven players, while Martin Montoya and Alberto Botia could have been shown red cards for violent tackles. Later on the same year, the Bolivian Football Federation asked CONMEBOL to indefinitely suspended Soto from for failing to send off John Hurtado who caused a double fracture of tibia and fibula of Francisco Arguello. The incident happened in the return match between Deportes Tolima and Oriente Petrolero, for the second phase of Copa Sudamericana. Although Arguello’s injuries required emergency surgery at a local clinic and put him off the field for six months, Soto just pulled a yellow card. (Source: ABC.com)
