Dismissed footballer returned to pitch to shoot referee dead

No player likes being sent off, and red card situations can occasionally become tense stand-offs between referees and footballers.

However, 48 year-old Argentine referee César Flores could not have expected that the dismissal of a player on Sunday would have been one of the last acts of his life.

Police in the Córdoba province of the country are hunting for the amateur footballer who responded angrily to being sent off for a foul. According to reports, he left the pitch but soon returned with a revolver, shooting Flores three times in the head, neck and chest.

25 year-old player Walter Zárate was also caught up in the assault, although it is believed that his injuries are not life-threatening.

According to local police, “it all happened during the match. We don’t know what happened with the referee but the player was angry, went to get his gun and killed him.”