France, sudden bereavement: Ligue 1 referee Johan Hamel dies at 42

Ligue 1 match director Johan Hamel has died after suffering a stroke at the end of a training session

Sudden mourning in French soccer: Ligue 1 referee Johan Hamel has died at the age of just 42. The news was given by the union of elite transalpine referees: Hamel died of a stroke, suffered at the end of a training session.

The referee had been whistling in the French top league since 2016, and on November 6 he had refereed the match between Lille and Rennes, while last weekend he was Var assistant for the match between Paris Saint Germain and Auxerre.

Hamel refereed 135 Ligue 1 and 85 Ligue 2 matches in his career. Among those who wanted to remember him on social media was former Marseille and world champion Florian Thauvin: “A great referee and a wonderful person, both on and off the pitch. Rest in peace, Johan.”