Sickening moment when football referee is left with a broken jaw and missing teeth after a suspended player ran onto the pitch and attacked him during a match
- Warning: graphic content
- Sydney football referee hit on touchline
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Disturbing footage has captured the moment when a referee was left with a broken jaw and bloodied mouth in a brutal brawl.
Khoder Yaghi refereed a first-class match between Padstow Hornets and Greenacre Eagles at Padstow Park, Sydney’s South West, on Friday night.
A suspended player who had been watching the game then charged at him, leaving him with three missing teeth and a jaw broken in several places.
Disturbing footage captured the moment a referee was left with a broken jaw and bloodied mouth in a brutal brawl
Mr Yaghi continues to recover at Liverpool Hospital and is expected to undergo reconstructive surgery on his jaw on Monday.
Terrifying footage from the night of the wild brawl has since surfaced showing Mr. Yaghi being repeatedly hit on the head.
The spectator is seen wearing a black shirt and blue shorts while waving his arm through the air.
Mr. Yaghi is pulled to the ground and tries to cover his face amidst the shower of punches.
A crowd quickly forms around the couple with bystanders trying to pull the onlooker off of Mr. Yaghi.
Mr. Yaghi staggers to his feet, covered in blood, muttering his word with a slack jaw.
“He broke my jaw,” he said.
The spectator seen in the video is considered a suspended player.
Greenacre Eagles released a statement on Sunday in which the team said it had elected to withdraw its team from top-tier MPL competition.
“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 club added that it was cooperating with NSW Police, who had not made an arrest.
Khoder Yaghi refereed a match between Padstow Hornets and Greenacre Eagles at Padstow Park, Sydney’s South West, on Friday night.
NSW Police confirmed that Bankstown area command officers were investigating the alleged assault of a referee in south-west Sydney.
“Just before 10.30pm (Friday 28 April 2023) two groups were playing a football match at Davies Road Padstow when a referee was reportedly punched in the face after a verbal altercation with a spectator,” a spokesman said.
“The injured man has been taken to Liverpool Hospital with an injury to his jaw.”
Football NSW said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia that it was aware of the incident and “will not tolerate anti-social behavior from any of its participants at any time’.
‘[We] the Bankstown Football Association will provide ongoing assistance and support in this matter over the coming weeks,” said a spokesman.
Greenacre Eagles declined to comment further when Daily Mail Australia approached him.
Police urged witnesses who have not yet been questioned to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.