The Uruguayan Football Federation has issued an official statement declaring the suspension of football until further notice because the referees’ union has decided not to appear at matches due to threats. Previously, the referees through their association also reported the cessation of their activity due to threats and attacks received.
Given the union measure of not appearing to arbitrate adopted by AUDAF (Uruguayan Association of Soccer Referees), it is reported that all disciplines and categories of the AUF are suspended until further notice.
The AUF rejects any type of action that attempts against the actors that make up the different sectors that are part of the tournaments of our Uruguayan Soccer and works to combat them and identify and punish their authors, within our jurisdiction.”
The referees have decided to stand up in their activity in the matches after the threats towards the referees in the dispute of the matches have recently increased. The latest events have occurred in the match played between Peñarol and Danubio, in which the arbitration quartet received threats. And also along the same lines suffered by assistant Martín Soppi ahead of the Nacional match, receiving threats from club fans.
The cases of threats have gone to another level, since the members have had to report these cases to the Police and have requested a meeting with the AUF so that there are guarantees of their safety on the playing fields, and thus be able to continue with their performance.
The referees’ statement
Prior to the decision made by the AUF, The Referees Association also presented an official statement in which it highlighted four points regarding the suspension of the activity of referees within Uruguayan football. In this sense, they reported that they would not appear at the parties to generate a “space for reflection.”
In addition, the Association requested an instance of dialogue with the AUF so that there would be a common objective in which the task of the arbitration groups would be dignified.
Finally, and before a space that remains open, the arbitration union requested the AUF “not admit any type of declarations, threats or aggressions that involve our associates or our activity”.
