Alcione Marcelino headbutted the official and kicked him in the face as he lay on the ground after he objected to a decision. The ace is facing charges of grievous bodily harm over the terrifying incident, with referee Marcos Nogueira allegedly suffering potentially life-threatening injuries.
Fluminense da Bahia and Atletico Brasileense's Acreano Futsal Championship match in Rio Branco, north Brazil, was nearly over when the attack was captured. Nogueira was kept in hospital overnight for observation and the following day underwent a series of examinations and tests by the Institute of Legal Medicine. IML experts will submit their findings to criminal investigators who have opened a case against the Atletico Brasileense midfielder, 34. The referee’s lawyer Fabio Santos said: “According to Marcos, Alcione complained about a foul as Fluminense da Bahia scored their sixth goal. "Marcos told the player his decision was correct, and he should play on. He didn’t expect the footballer’s reaction. You can see things happened suddenly. Alcione appears to run up to my client who stands still on the spot. Marcos never expected anything like this to happen, so he didn’t react when the player came towards him. He was surprised by the player’s aggressive attitude. Before he knew it, he was head-butted and kicked in the face as he fell to the ground”.
The cup final, which ended with a 6 to 4 win to Fluminense da Bahia, was stopped 16 minutes into the second half as anxious colleagues rushed to tend to the injured ref. Santos added: “Marcos has suffered extremely serious head injuries and x-rays show a crack in his skull. He was hospitalized to avoid trauma and there is a real risk this injury could develop with more serious and life-threatening consequences. We are talking about a serious bodily injury and my client is in a great deal of pain. Depending on the intensity of the injury this could lead to grievous bodily harm charges. We will wait for the investigation to be completed in 30 days before reaching a decision. In the meantime, I just hope the health of my client doesn’t deteriorate”. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 26 September at a Special Criminal Court, which is a body that promotes conciliation and adjudication. But Santos intends to push for the case to be transferred to a criminal court.
Source: The Sun
