Paraguayan footballer Jose Pedroso, who grabbed a referee around the throat and tried to choke him during a weekend match in Chile's second division, has resigned from the club.
Elias Vistoso, president of the second-division club Rangers, said Monday that Pedroso had left the club following the indicent on Saturday in a second-division match between Rangers and Concepcion. Concepcion won 3-0.
''We spoke with him and he has resigned,'' Vistoso told the daily El Mercurio. ''We know the (league) punishment awaiting him will not be small.''
The scene involving defender Pedroso and referee Marcelo Miranda was captured on video and has been posted on the website YouTube.
The incident took place shortly after Miranda allowed Concepcion to take a penalty four times, waving off attempts because of various infractions. Concepcion converted the first, missed the next two and finally converted the fourth in the team's victory.
Pedroso later charged at Miranda after the referee showed him a second yellow card for a violent tackle. As Miranda approached to show the card, Pedroso slipped behind him and grabbed the referee around the neck. After releasing him, he chased after Miranda and had to be wrestled to the ground by teammates.
