Croatian football referee Tihomir Pejin did not ask for time off after being attacked in Osijek on Friday morning. The Croatian Football Federation has given him its full support, and he will officiate the Slaven Belupo, Varaždin match on Sunday.
Just two days after being physically assaulted in Osijek, football referee Tihomir Pejin is returning to his duties. On Sunday at 6:30 PM, he will be in the VAR room for the SuperSport HNL Round 2 match between Slaven Belupo and Varaždin in Koprivnica. The information was confirmed by the Croatian Football Federation.
Pejin was attacked on Friday, August 7, near the Gradski vrt stadium. Masked assailants attacked him with telescopic batons, after which he received emergency medical attention and was taken to KBC Osijek. Despite the incident, he sustained minor injuries and was quickly released from the hospital.
The referee did not take sick leave nor ask to be excused from the upcoming match. "Pejin remains the VAR for Sunday in Koprivnica as planned," the Croatian Football Federation briefly confirmed, seeing no reason to replace him. Ante Čuljak from Zagreb will serve as the AVAR, with Duje Strukan from Split as the main referee.
The Croatian Football Federation immediately condemned the attack on Friday. "The Croatian Football Federation strongly condemns the physical attack on football referee Tihomir Pejin, which occurred on Friday morning in Osijek," the statement read. They added that he was attacked by unknown individuals and, after receiving assistance, was taken to the hospital.
The Federation emphasized that regardless of the motives, there is no justification for violence. "Regardless of the motives and circumstances that will be determined by the competent authorities, the Croatian Football Federation strongly condemns any form of violence. There is no justification, nor can there be, for a physical attack on any individual," they stated.
The Croatian Football Federation expressed its full support for Pejin and called on institutions to identify the perpetrators. "We wish Tihomir Pejin, who after ending his career as a main referee is currently active as a video assistant referee (VAR), a swift and full recovery," they concluded.
The motive for the attack remains unknown, and the attackers are at large. Pejin has been officiating exclusively in the VAR room for the second consecutive season, with his last match as the main referee coming in May of last year. At one point, he was removed from the refereeing list for over a year, and his officiating was accompanied by controversial details, but as Sportske novosti report, these are all old stories.
