Padstow Park brawl: Soccer referee left with broken jaw and missing teeth in brawl caught on camera

Disturbing footage has captured the moment a referee was left with a broken jaw and bloodied mouth in a brutal brawl. 

Khoder Yaghi had been refereeing a First Grade match between Padstow Hornets and Greenacre Eagles at Padstow Park, in south-west Sydney, on Friday night.

A suspended player who had been watching the game then allegedly rushed at him leaving him with three missing teeth and a jaw broken in several places.

NSW Police said on Sunday a 25-year-old man has since been arrested and taken to Bankstown Police Station. 

Disturbing footage has captured the moment a referee was left with a broken jaw and bloodied mouth in a brutal brawl 

Mr Yaghi is continuing to recover at Liverpool Hospital and he is expected to undergo reconstructive surgery for his jaw on Monday.

Terrifying footage from the night of the wild brawl has since emerged showing the moment Mr Yaghi was repeatedly punched in the head.

The spectator is seen wearing a black singlet and blue shorts as he swings his arm through the air. 

Mr Yaghi is seen being pulled to the ground and trying to cover his face amid the shower of punches. 

A crowd quickly forms around the pair with bystanders seen trying to pull the spectator off Mr Yaghi.

Mr Yaghi staggers to his feet covered in blood and mumbles his words as he speaks through the pain.

‘He broke my jaw,’ he said.  

The spectator seen in the video is understood to be a suspended player. 

Greenacre Eagles released a statement on Sunday with the team saying it had chosen to withdraw its team from the first-grade MPL competition.

‘As a result of the incident that occurred following the conclusion of the match, our club has made the decision to withdraw the team from the competition for the remainder of the 2023 season,’ it read.

‘This serves as a reminder to all that violence will not be tolerated at our club.’

The club added it was cooperating with NSW Police.

Mr Yaghi is seen being pulled to the ground and trying to cover his face amid the shower of punches

Khoder Yaghi had been refereeing a match between Padstow Hornets and Greenacre Eagles at Padstow Park, in south-west Sydney, on Friday night 

NSW Police confirmed officers from Bankstown area command were investigating the alleged assault of a referee in Sydney’s south west.

‘Just before 10.30pm (Friday 28 April 2023), two groups were playing a soccer match at Davies Road Padstow when a referee was allegedly punched in the face after a verbal altercation with a spectator,’ a spokesperson said.

‘The injured man was taken to Liverpool Hospital suffering an injury to his jaw.’

Football NSW said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia it was aware of the incident and ‘has zero tolerance for any antisocial behaviour from any of its participants at any time’.

‘[We] will be providing ongoing assistance and support to the Bankstown Football Association on this matter over the ensuing weeks,’ a spokesperson said.

Greenacre Eagles declined to comment further when approached by Daily Mail Australia.

Mr Yaghi said a spectator had begun abusing the referees ‘badly’ before the fight broke out.

‘I asked about a ground official to calm him down, but this guy carried on … and he jumped over the fence and ran straight towards us,’ he told The Age.

‘[He] was swearing and abusing us badly for no reason. As he’s approaching us, he put his hands up to start [a] fight … I tried to push him away with my [45cm] linesman’s stick. 

‘But this guy starts running around and tries to get behind me, as he [knows] he can’t get me face to face.

‘As I was having arguments with another player, this guy came from behind me and attacked me. Straight on my face. With his hands and legs all on my head and face.’