Paraguayan defender tries to strangle referee

While many footballers have thought about it, few have actually attempted it — but Paraguayan defender Jose Pedroso went that extra step at the weekend when he actually tried to strangle the referee.

The incident, which has been posted on the video-sharing website YouTube, occurred in a highly charged Chilean second division match between Pedroso’s team Rangers and their opponents Deportes Concepcion.

It took place just after the referee had ordered a penalty against Rangers to be retaken three times.

Pedroso was penalised for a violent challenge on an opponent that was enough to earn him his second yellow card and an early dismissal.

But instead of walking back to the dressing room for a lonely early bath, Pedroso saw a different kind of red, grabbing the referee Marcelo Miranda by the throat.

He was quickly separated from the man in black by his team-mates before launching a second desperate attack on Miranda. Finally he was escorted out of the ground by the police.

A few minutes earlier, Miranda had upset the Rangers players by ordering a penalty to be retaken three times as they trailed 1-0.

The first attempt was successful but he ruled that players had encroached into the penalty box early. The goalkeeper saved the second penalty but the referee insisted that the Rangers shot-stopper was off his line.

For attempt number three, Concepcion switched their kicker and the shot was again saved. This time, the referee again deemed that players had wandered into the area before the spot-kick had been taken.

Penalty number four was taken by the Colombian Hamilton Ricard who made no mistake, helping Concepcion to a 3-0 victory.

According to the local press, Pedroso has decided to quit Rangers and return to Paraguay.