Adam Abdullah charged over alleged attack on soccer referee in Greenacre Sydney

The man was charged with brutally assaulting a football referee who played on the same team as a famous driver who was recently shot dead outside an MMA gym.

Adam Abdullah, 25, is charged with allegedly wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and arguing over an incident on Friday that was caught on video in which assistant referee Khoder Yaghi was punched and kicked in the head.

The amateur boxer was arrested after he turned himself in to Bankstown police station in southwest Sydney around 2.40pm on Sunday.

It has emerged that Mr Abdullah played for the same South West Sydney club – the Greenacre Eagles – as Taha Sabbagh, who was shot at close range in March in front of his 12-year-old son in an alleged underworld hit.

Friday’s alleged assault occurred just before 10:30 p.m. at the end of a match between the between the Eagles and the Padstow Hornets in Padstow Park to the southwest Sydney.

Mr Yaghi has had emergency surgery at Liverpool hospital in Sydney after his jaw was broken in three places

Mr Abdullah, who was banned from playing at the Greenacre club for two years due to on-field fighting, is said to have addressed Mr Yaghi after the final whistle.

But Seven News reported that associates of Mr Abdullah claim he was first hit with the referee’s flag, leading to the alleged attack.

Photos uploaded to social media show Mr Abdullah’s face badly bruised.

Horror footage shows Mr Yaghi, 45, being pulled to the ground as he tries to cover his face to protect himself from punches and kicks

A crowd quickly forms around the couple with bystanders trying to come to the aid of the referee.

Mr. Yaghi finally staggers in blood and mutters, “He broke my jaw.”

Mr Yaghi was taken to Liverpool Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery on his jaw which was broken in three places.

The father of four boys told Nine News he feared he was “going to die.”

Mr Sabbagh was a top driver for several luxury chauffeur services in Sydney, regularly transporting high-level clients to meetings and parties (pictured with social media star Hasbulla)

It has emerged that Mr Abdullah played for the same South West Sydney club – the Greenacre Eagles – as Taha Sabbagh (pictured), who was shot at close range in March in front of his 12-year-old son in an alleged underworld hit

Associates of Mr Abdullah (pictured) claim he was first hit with the referee’s flag, leading to the alleged attack

Mr Abdullah, who lives in Villawood, a suburb in southwest Sydney, has been denied bail and is due to appear in Bankstown Court on Monday.

Greenacre Eagles released a statement on Sunday saying it has chosen to withdraw its team from first-class MPL competition and is cooperating with law enforcement.

“As a result of the incident that occurred after the match, our club has taken the decision to withdraw the team from the competition for the remainder of the 2023 season,” it said.

“This serves as a reminder to everyone that violence will not be tolerated in our club.”

The troubled club is still reeling from the alleged gangland murder of former player Mr Sabbagh, shot up to 10 times while sitting in his Mercedes next to his son outside the Elite Fight Force gym in Sefton, on March 2.

The 40-year-old was said to have been ambushed around 6:30 a.m. when a Mazda 3 pulled up and a volley of bullets was fired at him.

Detectives charged 26-year-old Le Nghia Andy Pham on April 24 for his alleged role in the murder, arresting him as he prepared to board a plane at Sydney International Airport.

Khoder Yaghi was refereeing a game between Padstow Hornets and Greenacre Eagles at Padstow Park, Sydney’s southwest, on Friday night when the alleged attack took place