From
referee to refugee, Syrian soccer official joins local German league
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[November 08, 2016]
PYRBAUM, Germany (Reuters) -
Hamdi Al-Kadri used to referee soccer matches with players as big as
Ronaldo. Now, forced to flee his native Syria, he oversees amateur
matches as a way to integrate into his new home country, Germany.
The 51-year-old former FIFA referee fled the Syrian civil war in
2012 after his house in Damascus was destroyed in an air raid, first
heading to neighboring Jordan and then making it to Germany with his
wife and four children.
The last time he was here was in very different circumstances - as
an assistant referee in the 2006 World Cup.
"I remember how well organized it was in Germany. For me it was the
best organized very high-level tournament of all time," he said.
Now he is back as one of more than a million migrants who have
arrived in Germany this year and last.
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While the general mood toward migrants has soured, Al-Kadri's new
club - SV Postbauer - could not believe its luck when the former
full-time referee turned up.
On Sunday he refereed for them for the second time, handing out
seven yellow cards.
Al-Kadri got a refereeing license from the Bavarian Football
Association (BFV) in September - a small piece of paper that gives
him a lot of hope.
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![](../images/110816pics/sports59.jpg)
Former FIFA referee Hamdi Al Kadri conducts a German 9th division
soccer match between TSV Pyrbaum and FC Altdorf in Pyrbaum, southern
Germany, November 6, 2016. REUTERS/Michael Dalder
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"I want my children to finish their studies and then to do whatever
they want at university," he said.
"Germany is a stable country. The future is secure."
(Reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Michelle Martin; Editing by
Robin Pomeroy)
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