Referee almost beaten to death by fans after showing several players red card (photos/video)

Referee almost beaten to death by fans after showing several players red card (photos/video)

- An Argentine referee had to run for his life after angry football hooligans almost lynched him

- Claudio Elichiri was officiating a fourth-division match between Sarmiento and Sansinena

- The ref reportedly did not give the home side a penalty and the away side scored moments later

- Players and fans protested but the latter took the situation too far as the ref was almost killed

A referee almost lost his life after he was brutally attacked by angry fans after suspending a match in Argentina.

The Daily Mail reports that Father-of-three Claudio Elichiri had to run for his life after being punched in the face and chased by the football hooligans.

Claudio Elichiri shows off his face after the attack

In the footage of the attack, the referee can be seen running for his life during the attack and cleaning his wounds afterwards.

The Argentinian official said he couldn't lift his lips from the beating he had received as footage emerged of the moment he was attacked and forced to run for safety.

The referee was attacked during a fourth-division match between Sarmiento and Sansinena, who come from different cities in the province of Buenos Aires.

Players from home side Sarmiento surrounded the ref after he failed to award them a penalty and their rivals scored a goal on the break moments later.

Players protesting angirly were shown a red card and the referee ended up suspending the match because of the number of players left on the field, angry fans invaded the pitch to let their fists and feet do the talking.

Some of the home players who had been insulting him moments earlier tried to get him to safety as fans kicked, punched and attacked Elichiri.

He ended up being kicked and punched in a corner of the field as his linesmen were assaulted.

Mr Elichiri said: "It's the first time this has ever happened to me. I've got three children, I felt powerless. When I got home my wife and I hugged each other and we cried"

"There has to be a really firm punishment for the people who did this."

Recently, a player an amateur footballer Ruben Rivera Vazquez was accused of killing a referee named Victor Trejo who had shown him a red card.

The player in question fled after Red Cross workers were unable to revive the official after racing to his aid and discovering he had no pulse.