Top UEFA referee Ovidiu Hategan suffered a heart attack over the weekend, according to reports, leading to him being rushed to hospital in Romania for surgery which saw him fitted with a stent.
Hategan, 41, has officiated in global competitions for a number of years, and most notably took charge of
Manchester United's draw at
Atletico Madrid in the
Champions League last-16 last month.
However, he is said to have complained of severe chest pain yesterday, a worrying situation which led to him being operated on by doctors. He will now remain under medical supervision until the end of the week.
Gazeta Sporturilor have claimed that Hategan was at his home in Arad when he began to feel the discomfort - which is also thought to have come on shortly after his daily physical training.
Sources have told the publication that Hategan decided to take himself to hospital in the city for a consultation, only for him to be told by medical experts after a check-up that he had indeed suffered a heart attack.
As a result, he was rushed to Timisoara, where his stent procedure took place. Hategan is said to have spoken to his family and staff, though, and is described by the outlet as being 'fine'. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Special Arad have also reported on Hategan's plight, claiming that, as a doctor, he noticed his symptoms and took himself to hospital alone. There, after an EKG was carried out, he was told that he had a clogged vein.
His medical emergency came just days after he acted as the fourth official for Wales' victory over Austria in World Cup qualifying, meanwhile. Hategan was able to officiate for at least another four years at European level due to his age, and he would also be able to continue to operate the whistle in Romania as long as he passed the mandatory physical tests.
That is because FIFA have set the retiring age for referees at 45. Now, it remains to be seen if he will be able to officiate another match in the future.
Hategan is a UEFA elite referee, and took charge of two matches at Euro 2020 - Poland vs Slovakia and Italy vs Wales. Both games were group stage ties. The last match he oversaw in the Liga 1 was a clash between FC Arges and FCSB on March 3 - while his last international game came in United's 1-1 draw in Madrid. He has also been included on the extended officials' list for the World Cup.
A total of 20 referees and 16 VAR officials have made the shortlist, with Hategan included among them. Only 10 will remain for the tournament, however.
