- After a C-junior game between FC Dulliken and FC Egerkingen, referee Erencan (21) was bombarded with death threats and massive sexualized insults against his family online.
- The 13-year-old Egerkinger player Z. distances himself from the threats of his teammates and has apologized to Erencan.
- FC Egerkingen and the Solothurn Football Association are currently carrying out internal investigations – the consequences are still open.
After a C-junior game it happened at the weekend in Solothurn a scandal surrounding the 21-year-old referee Erencan. After FC Egerkingen lost a 0-2 lead against the home team from Dulliken, the 13- to 14-year-old Egerkingen juniors became the referee initially insulted on the pitch – and then insulted in the worst possible way via social media. This also included death threats and massive sexualized insults against him and his family.
Now a player from the Egerkinger Juniors comments on the incident.
Z.* (13): “I said ‘lick my balls’ in Albanian.”
The 13-year-old Z.* tells 20 Minutes that he did not take part in the massive insults. “I just said ‘lick my balls’ in Albanian out of emotion during the game – deliberately in my home language so that the referee wouldn’t understand,” explains the Egerkinger C-Junior. He was frustrated by certain decisions made by Erencan (21), who is of Turkish origin.
He clearly distances himself from the serious threats against the referee: “I cannot describe those teammates who threatened the referee with death or insulted his family as my colleagues.” He could not say why such statements were made. “It was probably just emotions that couldn’t be controlled.”
Other players asked did not comment when asked.
Apologies to the referee
A day after the game he contacted referee Erencan (21) and apologized. “We sorted it out together, it’s okay again,” says Z.* Erencan confirms this: “Z.* was one of the players who didn’t say or behave badly. I thought it was powerful that he apologized the next day.” He hopes that other players will follow an example.
Are there any measures already in place?
As the vice president of FC Egerkingen, Janick Sulser, explains, internal investigations are currently underway. Until this is clarified, no comment will be made. However, we are in contact with the Solothurn Football Association. Marc Häni, President of the Betting Commission, confirms this to 20 Minutes.
*Initials changed to protect minors
What do you think should happen if referees in youth football are insulted or threatened?
Thomas Sennhauser (ths), has been working for 20 minutes since 2020. He started as a video journalist and after two years moved to the news department, where he writes about social issues and analyzes of events abroad.
