Video: Footballer hit on the nose by the referee during a league game in Netherlands
Football has had its fair share of incidents – players have been involved in unfortunate collisions on the pitch leading to them being having to be carried off and also miss a few games for their side. But have you heard of an instance where a player has had to be carried off the field after being accidentally hit by the referee?
BVV Barendrecht midfielder Mitchell van Gastel was, unfortunately, injured in that manner during his side’s Dutch amateur league match versus SVV Scheveningen on Saturday.The incident occurred when referee Wim Bronsvoort looked to his raise his hand to signal play on, but ended up, smacking the 24-year-old van Gastel on his nose.
The blow left van Gastel lying on the floor for a few seconds before the medical staff, rushed into the field to have a look at the extent of the damage to the player. After giving him treatment, he was eventually carried off the pitch on a stretcher.
Something similar, on those lines, happened during the Premier League encounter between Manchester United and West Ham United at Old Trafford last year, when United midfielder Ander Herrera came rushing in to get hold off the ball, but instead got hit in his ribs by the on-field referee Lee Mason, which further aggravated an rib injury, that he was already carrying.The 25-year-old Spaniard was seen holding his back in pain and he walked off the field with 16 minutes left to go.
Here’s a video of the latest incident from Netherlands: