The Referees Committee of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Federation (BiH FF) held a special meeting on 23 July 2013 and suspended FIFA referee Emir Aleckovic for violating Article 5 of the Football Federation Code of Conduct. The case will be forwarded to the competent authorities for further action.
According to Nezavisne, Aleckovic was suspended for sending text messages (SMS) with inappropriate content to youth players. Their parents informed BiH FF, who suspended the referee. The decision was reported to UEFA, who immediately sent home Aleckovic from the U-19 Euro 2013 in Lithuania. UEFA says the case relates to "alleged wrongdoings in Bosnia-Herzegovina" and doesn't involve the under-19 tournament being played in Lithuania. The Bosnian federation said in a statement it suspended Aleckovic during its investigation. "He blackmailed young referees who were involved in the Talent and Mentor Program by sending them messages with inappropriate, offensive content”, said the father of one of the boys which Aleckovic allegedly sent text messages. He says that the application was filed with the consent of the parents of another boy and believes that his move will encourage others to speak out about the scandal rocking Bosnian football. "My son has started to train with Aleckovic a year and seven months ago, when he was still a minor. This lasted for half a year, then my son refused and told him to stop, at the cost of his refereeing career. The same happened to another boy and I am ashamed to talk about it. Aleckovic called the kids, telling them offensive words, talking to them about sex, rather than training. "If we go to police and the phone card is decoded, all the messages can be found there. I was present when Aleckovic asked my son, over Skype, to undress in front of a camera while he was watching. He asked the kids to not tell their parents about it, to trust him and to love him more than their parents". The worried father says that he will take further steps after consulting with a lawyer and meeting with Aleckovic, who returned to Sarajevo. "I am waiting for Aleckovic to come back to talk. He called me from Lithuania and begged me to talk with him", he says. Emir Aleckovic asked his cousin, Sarajevo lawyer Kemal Aleckovic, to represent him. "I sent a request to the BiH FF and until I see the documentation would not be ethical to talk about this case. Emir verbally authorized me to take care of the case. We talked this morning, when he was at the airport in Lithuania. I believe that he is not guilty and that he did not commit the acts for which he is charged. These charges compromised his career. The case will only be conducted within the BiH FF and I think that will be able to solve it", said the lawyer.
Aleckovic, who is 33, was promoted to FIFA's list of international referees in 2010. He was among the six referees selected for the UEFA U-19 Euro tournament and was appointed to only one match, France – Georgia, played last Saturday. He refereed a World Cup qualifier last September, when Hungary won 5-0 in Andorra.
Source: BiH FF / Nezavisne
Aleckovic, who is 33, was promoted to FIFA's list of international referees in 2010. He was among the six referees selected for the UEFA U-19 Euro tournament and was appointed to only one match, France – Georgia, played last Saturday. He refereed a World Cup qualifier last September, when Hungary won 5-0 in Andorra.
Source: BiH FF / Nezavisne
