One of the best football referees in Latvia, Andris Treimanis, has never before encountered such aggression towards referees in his entire professional career in Latvia, as happened on Sunday in the second match of the playoff for a place in the top football league "Tonybet" next season, reports LETA.
Such a statement was made by Treimanis, who was the main referee of the decisive match on Sunday, published on the Facebook platform.
As previously reported, on Sunday in the second playoff match, "Grobina" defeated "JDFS Alberts" 1:0 at the RTU stadium in Riga, achieving victory on aggregate and preserving their place in the top league of Latvia for the 2026 season as well.
The home team received two red cards and six yellow cards, one of which turned into a red, while the players of "Grobina" received three yellow cards.
After the match, referee Treimanis stated that in his 28 years of refereeing, he and his colleagues had been spat on, he had been pushed by adult men when he was a 13-year-old teenager, various objects had been thrown at him, he had been threatened with beatings, and for safety reasons, he had to change hotels during international matches, but for the first time he felt "such a mass negative attack and aggression in Latvia directed at him and his colleagues from all levels of the home football club - the top management of 'JDFS Alberts', the inactive security, their mocking derision, as well as from the spectators."
He writes that this time the referees' patience has run out, and he will not allow "to insult himself and his colleagues without justification."
Treimanis considers it a great insult that "ten-year-old students of one of the leading football academies in Latvia, dressed in full gear of Yuri Dozenko's club - the 'Alberts' football school, approached the referees at a distance of one meter, extending their hands with a handful of change, offering it as a bribe," while their fathers, standing behind in club paraphernalia, encouraged the children and joyfully shouted accusations at the referees, calling them corrupt and pathetic wretches.
Treimanis adds that during the break and after the game, representatives of "JDFS Alberts" threatened physical violence and initiated a physical confrontation.
The referee admitted that he was forced to fill out the match report in detail for the first time, emphasizing that he had no complaints against the players of both teams - they behaved correctly.
Treimanis reported that during the match it was difficult to reach the video review screen as he was surrounded by fans and staff of "JDFS Alberts."
He writes that after the first half, while heading to the locker room, no security was provided for the referees, and upon exiting the field, they were surrounded by aggressive fans in "JDFS Alberts" club paraphernalia, threatening physical violence.
Treimanis also reported that in the second half, his second assistant Alexey Spasennikov regularly reported threats from "JDFS Alberts" fans, and spectators were at times only half a meter from the field.
"At the 62nd minute, after the second yellow card shown to Matis Zegelis, the situation became critical - threats of physical violence became completely direct," Treimanis said, emphasizing that the game was interrupted for several minutes, and the spectators retreated only after repeated calls.
In turn, the Latvian Football Federation (LFF) stated on Monday that LFF committees would review all violations and incidents.
"LFF reminds that emotional experiences are not and cannot be an excuse for either verbal or physical violence - there is no place for any violence in football," the LFF statement said.
"LFF also calls for adherence to the principles of mutual respect at all levels of football competitions among all participants in the game: players, coaches, referees, officials, spectators, and organizers," LFF added.
In the battle for a place in the top league next season, the team "Grobina," which finished second to last in the current top league season, faced the vice-champion of the first-tier Future League - the team "JDFS Alberts."
The winner on aggregate from the two matches earned the right to play in the top league "Tonybet" in 2026, while the loser will compete in the Future League.
Both teams met in playoff matches last year, when after losing at home 2:3, "Grobina" won the return match 2:0.
As the winner of the Future League, the right to play in the top league was earned by the club "United" from Ogre, while the team "Metta," which had been in the top league since 2012, must leave the top league.
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