[floatl][/floatl]Reuters: Japanese player says referee told him to "die"
A Japanese referee has been accused by a player of using abusive language, including telling him to "die", during a J-League match, Japanese media reported on Wednesday. Oita Trinita defender Taikai Uemoto claimed referee Yuichi Nishimura (left) had also abused him after the game when he said he would report his comments to the Japanese Football Association. His club said they were compiling a file to send to Japanese officials. Trouble flared when Uemoto asked Nishimura why he had not booked an FC Tokyo player for a foul late in the second half of Tuesday's game. Japanese media reported that several players overheard a furious Nishimura snap back: "Shut up! You keep quiet and get on with the game. Die!" Uemoto said he could not believe what he had heard. "I was shocked," he told Japan's Nikkan Sports daily. "If players said the same thing we'd be sent off. We don't have cards but that ref deserved a red. He was totally out of order."

Reuters: Japanese officials side with referee over 'death' threat

Japanese officials have decided a referee accused of using abusive language during a J-League game did not tell a player to "die". The Japan Football Association (JFA) on Friday rejected claims by Oita Trinita's Taikai Uemoto that match official Yuichi Nishimura had used the word "die" during a game in midweek. Several players had backed Uemoto's claims but the JFA insisted the decision to dismiss the player's protests had come after a thorough inquiry. "We are not trying to deny what was heard," JFA general secretary Kozo Tashima told reporters. "We have decided that (the referee) did not use those words"...more...