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PORTUGAL

Emotional letter sent to referee after young player's red card

Tiago Tavares was sent off in his last game for his Portuguese youth side, following which he sent a hand-written apology sharing his feelings.

Emotional letter sent to referee after young player's red card

Following Diego Costa's foul-mouthed abuse towards the referee in the Barça-Atlético clash, it raised once again the question about respect for officials in the so-called Beautiful Game. So, it was refreshing to see the story that arose out of the lower age groups in Portugal, where a young boy who had been sent off for his team wrote to the referee to apologise for his actions.

Young player's apology to the ref

Tiago Tavares was shown the red card in his last game for Grupo Desportivo Samora Correia, a club located near the estuary where the River Tagus ends, near Lisbon. As well as the official, the yonungster also wanted to ask for forgiveness from his coach and fellow players who he felt he had let down.

'Dear referee. I am number 64 in the GDSC [Grupo Desportivo Samora Correia] and my name is Tiago Tavares, of the U-11 team. I am writing this letter to apologise for my attitude on 7 April, 2019,' the letter began, handwritten in Portuguese.

O Tiago, na semana passada, teve uma atitude menos própria para o árbitro da partida de Sub-11 da Associação de Futebol...

Posted by Grupo Desportivo Samora Correia on Friday, April 12, 2019

'I know that regretting what I did and asking for forgiveness will not cancel the suspension, but it is good to know how to learn from your mistakes. My team will not be able to count on me for the game on 13 April and I cannot hide the disappointment that I have generated for my coach, teammates, family members and myself. But I can do one thing. Apologise and show that I am sincerely sorry. I'm sorry about what happened. Regards, Tiago Tavares'.

We've not yet had word of any letter written by Atlético Madrid's striker...