Referee who handled Eagles opening match hospitalized

Brazilian referee Sandro Ricci who officiated the second group D match involving Nigeria’s Super Eagles and the Blazers of Croatia last Saturday at the Kaliningrad Arena at the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Russia has been hospitalized.

According to reports, Ricci who holds a degree in Economics, but works as a civil servant in his native country ruptured his ligaments which has landed him in the hospital. There was no mention of how the Brazilian referee got injured.

The report also did not state for how long Ricci would spend at the hospital. neither was it forthcoming on whether his World Cup duties had come to an end.

The Croatia, Nigeria encounter was the first game that he would take charge of after serving as the fourth official in the opening match of the competition between Russia and Saudi Arabia.

He was also the Video Assistant Referee for the game between England and Tunisia, but was criticised for not awarding a penalty to England after his attention was drawn to an incident by Colombia referee Wilmar Roldan when Harry Kane was brought down by a Tunisian defender inside the 18-yard box.

During Nigeria’s match, Ricci awarded a penalty to Croatia after striker Mandzukic was manhandled by Eagles defender William Troost-Ekong inside the area.