A REFEREE has be given a 12-match ban as punishment for kneeing a player in his private parts.
Liga MX referee Fernando Hernandez lost his head as the thrust his knee into Leon star Lucas Romero’s groin.
Referee Fernando Hernandez lashed out after he had enough of Lucas Romero getting in his face
The incident occurred during a match between Leon and Club America.
Romero took issue with a yellow card dished out by Hernandez.
The Leon midfielder was unhappy that his team-mate Jaine Barreiro was booked and so got up into the referee’s face to plead his case.
Hernandez wasn’t impressed and took the law into his own hands by lifting his knee in to the Argentine’s nuts.
Romero immediately fell to the ground in extreme pain following the clash.
The incident caused a mass brawl between players and staff of both clubs, with six yellow cards dished out in the space of 10 minutes.
Both managers from the two sides were also sent off as a result of the altercation.
The league’s disciplinary body reviewed the incident and have decided to ban the referee for 12 games as a result.
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They released a statement which read: “Fernando Hernandez Gomez, center referee of the match, is sanctioned by the Disciplinary Committee with a 12-game suspension for engaging in violent conduct against a player.”
The match ended in a 2-2 draw as both sides were fighting for a CONCACAF Champions League qualification place.