Babak Rafati was found in his hotel room Saturday morning “after sustaining injuries with no sign of any involvement by a third party,” Cologne police spokesman Andre Fassbender told The Associated Press. “It certainly looks like (a suicide attempt), yes.”
Cologne said it was told less than two hours before the game that Rafati was unavailable, and that a replacement referee could not be found at such short notice.
“Between 2 and 2:15 p.m. we got the message that the referee was in an accident,” Cologne sporting director Volker Finke said. “It’s appropriate and correct that the game can’t take place.”
Mainz says the German Football League (DFL) canceled the game after consulting both clubs.
A new date had yet to be set for the game.
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