Matches in Greece’s professional leagues "have been suspended indefinitely after a referees’ committee official was admitted to hospital following a violent attack." Police said 45-year-old Christoforos Zografos, the assistant director of the central refereeing committee, "was beaten with wooden clubs by two men on a motorcycle in west Athens." After an emergency meeting, the Hellenic Football Federation decided not to appoint referees following the “murderous attack.” Referees "would not be appointed until immediate steps were taken to protect match officials" (REUTERS, 11/14). ... Turkish club Genclerbirligi President Ilhan Cavcav "decided to fine any of his side's players who sport beards by claiming they are a bad influence on youngsters." Cavcav, who sports a moustache himself, will fine players 25,000 Turkish Liras ($11,200) if they do not follow his demands, and said that players such as Olcay Sahan, Volkan Demirel, Selcuk Inan and Besiktas Manager Slaven Bilic "are setting a poor example" (ESPN, 11/16). ... The French Football League (LFP) overturned the red card received by Ligue 1 side Marseille midfielder Giannelli Imbula on Nov. 9 against Paris St. Germain. The referee of the match, Clément Turpin, recognized after reviewing tape that he “should not have been dismissed” and then “wrote a report to the disciplinary committee on the matter.” The cancelation of the red card will allow Imbula to return to his team on Nov. 23 for the match against Bordeaux (AFP, 11/13).
