Babak Rafati

Babak Rafati
Born28 May 1970
Hanover, West Germany
Other occupationBanker
Domestic
YearsLeagueRole
2000–20112nd BundesligaReferee
2005–2011BundesligaReferee
International
YearsLeagueRole
2008–2011FIFA listedReferee

Babak Rafati (Persian: بابک رفعتی‎, born 28 May 1970) is an Iranian-German football referee.[1]

As of February 2010, he has officiated more than 150 matches in the 1. Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga. As of November 2011, he has officiated 84 top-flight German league games.[2]

Suicide attempt

Rafati was scheduled to referee a 1. Bundesliga match on 19 November 2011 between 1. FC Köln and 1. FSV Mainz 05, but never arrived, leading to the match's abandonment after a replacement could not be found.[3] He was later found in his hotel room, having attempted suicide, and was rushed into intensive care.[2][4] He confirmed that he was suffering from depression, and that would like to return to refereeing after he finished undergoing therapy.[5] Incidentally, his debut officiating a Bundesliga game was a match between Köln and Mainz 05 on 6 August 2005.

References

  1. ↑ "Babak Rafati" (in German). kicker.de. Archived from the original on 10 February 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Bundesliga game called off after referee's suicide bid". BBC Sport. 19 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  3. ↑ "Köln vs. Mainz called off". bundesliga.de. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  4. ↑ "Köln gegen Mainz abgesagt". Sportschau (in German). ARD. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  5. ↑ "Referee Babak Rafati seeks return after suicide attempt". BBC Sport. 25 November 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.

External links