An episode of violence marked the end of a match in the youth championship of the Liga Caaguaceña, in the department of Caaguazú, Paraguay. Player Arnaldo Andrés Lezcano Ramírez, 20, punched referee Junior Villalba, 28, after the game between Cerro Porteño and 8 de Diciembre, which ended 4-1.
According to the referee's account, there were no incidents during the match and he even received praise from the athletes. However, at the end, Lezcano Ramírez insulted him, calling him "bought" and "useless." Villalba showed him a red card and, as he turned, received a blow to the face that knocked him down. "I fell to the ground almost knocked out," the referee said.
The attacker fled but was arrested by the National Police about four blocks from the stadium. During the arrest, it was found that Lezcano Ramírez was 20 years old, although he appeared on the match sheet as 14, an age well above the limit allowed for the youth competition.
Villalba, who works as a bricklayer and studies at night, officiating on weekends, suffered a facial fracture and will need absolute rest for 15 days, preventing him from working. He stated that in four years of his career, he had never faced such violence.