Former referee Pierluigi Collina has issued a stark warning following the violent incident in Turkey. He speaks of a “cancer” that could kill football – even in the lower leagues.

Former star referee Pierluigi Collina has condemned the attack on Turkish referee Halil Umut Meler in the strongest possible terms and spoken of “horrific images”.

In a message on X, formerly Twitter, the now 63-year-old Italian expressed his views on Wednesday in his capacity as chairman of the Referees’ Committee of world football’s governing body FIFA.

Meler is a very good referee and a very good man, Collina wrote. He had spent time with Meler at the U20 World Cup in Argentina, Collina explained. The Italian, who became a star during his playing career, also drew attention in his message to the many similar cases in lower leagues that have not been made public.

More horrifying than the images from Meler, Collina wrote, is knowing that there are thousands of referees around the world who are verbally and physically abused, but who are not reported on. He said at a meeting in London last month that verbal and physical abuse is a “cancer” that could cost football its life.

A referee cannot be beaten because he has made a decision, even if it was wrong. His or her car cannot be set on fire because of a penalty.

Pierluigi Collina

Violent scenes broke out in Turkey on Monday evening after the game between MKE Ankaragücü and Çaykur Rizespor. Rizespor had scored the 1-1 in the seventh minute of stoppage time. Ankaragücü’s president Faruk Koca, who has since resigned, had punched the referee in the face after the final whistle, as could be seen on video. Meler was knocked to the ground, and others kicked him. Meler was able to leave the hospital on Wednesday.

“A referee cannot be punched for making a decision, even if it was the wrong one. You can’t set his or her car on fire because of a penalty,” Collina wrote. And he added that this was not an exaggeration, as burning cars had already happened in some countries, and not that rarely. “It is the responsibility of all those who love this ‘beautiful game’ to do something about it. Before it’s too late. Before this cancer kills football,” Collina wrote.