Football players beat referee to death

A Dutch linesman died after being beaten by players in the aftermath of a youth match the day before.

From the AP:

Richard Nieuwenhuizen collapsed and was rushed to the hospital hours after players from Amsterdam club Nieuw Sloten punched and kicked him. Nieuwenhuizen's club, Buitenboys, said the 41-year-old linesman died Monday evening but did not announce the exact cause of death.

Three players, whose ages range from 15 to 16, were arrested earlier Monday for alleged involvement in the beating in the town of Almere.

It remains unclear why the players beat Nieuwenhuizen, but they certainly weren't justified. The police haven't ruled out making more arrests as their investigation is ongoing. Meanwhile, Nieuw Sloten have already announced that they banned the players arrested from the club and pulled their team out of the league.

UPDATE: Here's a photo of Richard Nieuwenhuizen taken before the assault...

Thanks to The Dirty Tackle

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