COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) _ A Danish fan who attacked a referee
during a European Championship qualifier between Sweden and Denmark
has been charged with violence and trespassing, police said Tuesday.
The man, who cannot be named under a court order, stormed the
pitch June 2 and tried to attack German referee Herbert Fandel for
sending off a Danish player and giving a penalty to Sweden.
If found guilty, he faces up to three years in prison. No date
for a trial has been set.
The 29-year-old man, who said he had consumed more than 15 beers
before the incident, ran onto the pitch moments after Fandel had
given a red card to Christian Poulsen for punching Swedish striker
Markus Rosenberg in the stomach in the final minutes of the game.
Fandel abandoned the Group F match with the score level at 3-3
after the attack.
UEFA eventually awarded Sweden a 3-0 victory, banned Denmark from
playing its next two home games at its national stadium in
Copenhagen and ordered the Danes to pay a fine of 50,000 Swiss
francs (C$43,415) fine.
