The ranks of professional soccer referees are full of those who couldn’t make it as players but wanted to stay on the field. Bader Abdullah showed why there should be no crossover attempts.
During a recent exhibition game between Russia’s Zenit St. Petersburg and Ukraine’s Shaktar Donetsk, Abdullah slipped, fell and fouled Zenit’s Viktor Fayzulin. Fayzulin was trying to take the ball around a Shaktar defender when Abdullah lost his balance.
The funny moment turned hilarious when Abdullah blew his whistle and awarded a free kick to Zenit. He had no choice but to do so.
Both teams were enjoying winter training camps in Dubai so they scheduled the exhibition. However, it may not be the last time they meet.
Officials from Russian energy company Gazaprom and the Russian and Ukrainian soccer federations are discussing the idea of starting a “super league” consisting of clubs from the two countries (and possibly other states from the former Soviet Union). The proposed league would kick off in 2014.
If it produces any moments of magic like this one, it’ll surely be a big hit with fans and referees (who want to be players) alike.
See the referee foul Fayzulin in the video below.
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