Referee receives death threats for awarding Liverpool penalty

(Graham Hughes)

Steven Gerrard is fouled by Atletico Madrid's Mariano Pernia to earn a late penalty which the Liverpool midfielder converted

Times Online

Martin Hansson, the referee in charge of Liverpool's recent Champions League match with Atletico Madrid at Anfield, has admitted receiving death threats over his decision to award a late penalty to the home side.

The Swedish referee pointed to the spot in the fourth minute of stoppage time for what he perceived to be a push on Steven Gerrard by Mariano Pernia. Atletico were leading 1-0 at the time.

Gerrard scored the penalty to salvage a draw for Liverpool, a result that cost the Spanish club a place in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Hansson told Swedish newspaper Sport-Expressen that he has had to change numbers and inform the police over a number of threatening calls and text messages. "I have received death threats," he said. "It has been horrible and feels very uncomfortable. The phone rang all the time and I had a great many text messages. I am pretty used to this, but now I've had enough. It has been very threatening. I feel completely fed up.

"I have always had my mobile phone on and my number has been on the network. Now it no longer works. I'm sad that I can't be as open as I once was. I have notified the police that there have been threats against my life. But it is difficult for the police to prove."

Hansson laid some of the blame for the threats he has been receiving on the media, who he feels have fuelled the situation. "I find it odd that it never, or hardly ever, gets mentioned when the referees are doing something good, only when it is something that is questionable," he said. "Since it has been in all the newspapers it's been so bad. When you make a big mistake, it should certainly show, but when it is rewritten in the days and weeks that follow it becomes too much."

Despite all the problems Hansson insists he will not quit the game, as his compatriot Anders Frisk did after receiving similar threats following a game between Chelsea and Barcelona in 2005. "I know that it is not worth getting upset about it, and I'll keep on refereeing because I like it," he said. "I want to continue to believe that football can do a lot of good and it would be sad if these dark forces had any influence on me.

"I thought about quitting, but I have made my decision to continue. But I never considered it [quitting] as much as right now."

Original here