Referee involved in Leonardo ban receives death threats

Alexandre Castro, the referee who was at the receiving end of a shove by PSG director Leonardo, has filed a police complaint after receiving a series of death threats.

Leonardo, 43, who was reportedly exasperated at Castro’s first-half dismissal of PSG captain Thiago Silva, was caught on camera deliberately barging into the 42-year-old as he was making his way to the dressing-room after the final whistle, following PSG’s 1-1 draw at home to Valenciennes on May 5.

While the former Inter and AC Milan coach was given a nine month ban, PSG were hit with a suspended three-point deduction by the French Football League’s (LFP) disciplinary commission last Thursday.

This resulted in menacing phone calls to Castro.

“The telephone number was visible so that will of course help the police. I cannot reveal the content of the threat,” Castro’s lawyer, Patrick Anton, told media, adding his client had informed the authorities in the hope of obtaining police protection for his family.

Source: ESPN