A referee was attacked by football players of club RKJVV from Den Bosch on Saturday afternoon during a championship match between RKJVV 5 and Oirschot Vooruit 6, Omroep Brabant reports. Dutch football association KNVB is investigating the assault.

The match was played on a field belonging to VV Haarsteeg in Vlijmen. Things got out of hand after the referee issued two red cards. As it was almost half time, the referee decided to announce a cooling off period. He was punched and kicked as he walked off the field, the coach of Oirschot Vooruit said to the broadcaster. "I saw that with my own eyes, I estimate by about eight men."

Coach Fouat Zengin of RKJVV denies these allegations. "That's definitely not true" he said to the broadcaster. "The boy was pushed in the back, nothing more. He can simply be back at work on Monday."

The KNVB is investigating what happened. "The referee is doing well, but he is upset", a spokesperson for the Dutch football association said to Omroep Brabant. "Touching a referee is obviously going too far. We will carefully figure out exactly what happened."

The match was halted after the altercation. Oirschot Vooruit was named the winner, according to the broadcaster.