Team official takes over as referee after friendly abandoned

A friendly between Czech side Slavia Prague and Polish champions Rakow Czestochowa descended into chaos on Sunday (Jul 2) as the referee abandoned the game after sending off a player but the match continued with a club official taking over the whistle.

Austrian referee Lino Heiduck halted the game after 10 minutes and following a heated discussion with Rakow midfielder Giannis Papanikolaou he showed the 24-year-old Greece international a red card.

Despite the sending-off, which Slavia's director of strategic communication Jakub Splavec said was for "insults significantly over the edge", both teams wanted to continue the friendly with 11 v 11, which the referee refused.

"According to him, his health was in danger," Splavec wrote on Twitter.

"After the efforts of the organisers and representatives of both teams to continue the match in the same setting, the referee and his assistants left and refused to return to the field. Even to communicate in any way."

The match resumed 10 minutes later with Rakow's general manager Kamil Waskowski taking over as the main official.

Waskowski, who has refereeing experience and is licensed for lower-tier competitions, was assisted by two substitute players.

"One linesman from us, one from Rakow," Splavec added.

The game continued with the previously sent off Papanikolaou back on the pitch.

Slavia, who were runners-up in Czech league last season, beat the first-time Polish champions 2-1 courtesy of last-gasp goal by Dutch striker Mick van Buren.