Crazy But True: Brazilian Referee Beheaded at Soccer Game

In 2011, Chris was offered a job in Brazil. A well-paying, exciting, glamorous (or so I thought) job in the heart of a beautiful country…and we accepted it. We were SO excited. Angeline even came around to the idea and began to get excited, after the initial shock of learning that we’d leave everything we ever knew and loved to start a new life in a foreign country.

She was excited because we’d have a maid and a bigger house. Ha! Kids…

Well, shortly before we were due to start the process of moving, Chris had second thoughts. And then, a change of heart.

We weren’t moving. 

As you can imagine, I was devastated. Every time I heard the word “Brazil,” my heart sank. When I went shopping at Macy’s, their Brasilia advertisements for their new line made me want to cry.

Of course I eventually got over it, but I was honestly pretty depressed for most of last year while I grieved over the loss of the opportunity.

Even now, a complete year after we would have moved to Sao Paulo, I still feel a dull ache in my heart when I think of all the adventures we would have had, had we moved there. But life is good – no, LIFE IS GREAT – and I am happy where we are.

Last night, Chris told me that while he was out to lunch with his coworkers, someone told him that in the very city where we would have lived, there was a double murder at a soccer game – I mean, a football game.

As he began telling me the story, I was in shock. And then, for the very first time in the past year and a half, I was HAPPY that Chris changed his mind about taking that job, and I was RELIEVED that we never moved to Brazil.

What happened?

Apparently, an argument broke out between a player and the referee over a call made at the soccer game. During the argument, the referee pulled out a knife and stabbed the player, who was rushed to the hospital.

I was all like OMG WTF?! What referee carries a knife to a soccer game?!

That was just the beginning!

The player died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, and word reached the crowd at the game rather quickly. They rushed the field, and stoned the referee to death.

I repeat: the crowd STONED THE REFEREE TO DEATH.

As in, like biblical stoning. They stoned him.

Ah, but it gets worse.

After they killed the referee, they quartered him.

THEY QUARTERED HIM. Ripped limb from limb.

Seriously, I couldn’t even make this shit up.

Then they beheaded him and impaled his head upon a post in the field.

As Chris was telling me this story, I was doubting the likelihood that it was true. I mean, we did A LOT of research on Brazil before making the decision to move there (his decision to not take the job was only because he didn’t want to leave all of our friends and family for a new country) and everything we’d read said that it was as safe as the states, it had a strong economy, etc etc. It seemed a modern, civilized country, just as much as the U.S.

I could see riots, I could see the stadium being set afire, I could see someone attacking the referee…all of those things would be understandable – something I wouldn’t be too surprised to see happen anywhere in the world, even right here at home.

But stoning? Quartering? Beheading? Impaling?

WHAT THE HELL, BRAZIL? This isn’t the Dark Ages!!

If we had made the move to Brazil, I really think I would be so traumatized by the event that I would have to come home to the U.S.