Roman Shirokov did not hesitate to carry out his warning during a Celebrity Cup event against an amateur league referee.
An eyewitness overheard Shirokov say, “If you show a red one, I’ll give you (making a fist),” as reported by the Mirror.
Subsequently, the referee, Nikita Danchenko, showed a red card to Shirokov, who followed through on his threat by punching him in the face. Shirokov then proceeded to kick the referee in the stomach multiple times as players intervened to restrain him.
“I spent four to four and a half hours in the hospital, then another 15-20 minutes in the emergency room,” he explained. “They put stitches everywhere, did a bunch of examinations. And most importantly, everything seems to be fine with me.
“What does not kill you will make you stronger, as they say. Therefore, we continue to go further and continue to work.
“I want to thank everyone for the words of support, this is a difficult moment for me and my loved ones.”
Shirokov issued a public apology to Danchenko, the organizer, his teammates, Match TV, and the viewers, expressing regret for his actions and acknowledging the inappropriateness of his behavior.
