The Sun: A referee who traveled to the UK to officiate a European match has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a minor boy

According to The Sun, a UEFA referee was arrested by police on suspicion of sexually assaulting a boy after flying to the UK to officiate a match.

The referee is accused of engaging in non-consensual physical contact with a minor before the European fixture and attempting to lure him to his hotel room.

The foreign official had been invited to officiate the midweek match. Police launched an investigation after receiving a report and arrested him at his hotel upon his return after the game, in front of stunned UEFA staff.

A source said: “It is understood he initially approached a boy in a public area of the hotel. He is alleged to have touched and molested him against his will, and attempted to lure him into his room. If proven true, the incident is shocking and constitutes extremely inappropriate conduct.”

Reports indicate that while the referee was officiating the match, the victim or his companions had already reported the incident to the police.

The source added: “When he returned to the hotel that evening and entered the lobby with the UEFA delegation, officers were already waiting. He was arrested on the spot and read his rights, before being taken away for questioning. He has since been released on bail.”

If formally charged, UK police may initiate extradition proceedings. The referee had originally been included in the list of officials selected for this summer’s World Cup and was among hundreds of candidates preparing to officiate. FIFA has stated that he will be barred from officiating any FIFA matches while the investigation is ongoing.

UEFA responded: “We are taking this matter very seriously and are closely monitoring the situation. In the meantime, the referee has been indefinitely suspended from officiating all UEFA matches.”