http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11903/7317335/Cologne-game-called-off Cologne's Bundesliga game against Mainz on Saturday was postponed due to 'an accident' amid reports in Germany that the referee had tried to commit suicide. The club had announced that the match was called off because Babak Rafati, the referee who was due to officiate, was unable to take charge of the fixture. The statement added: "A replacement is not available in the short-term." Reports in the German media have claimed that Rafati was found in his hotel room having attempted to take his own life. The Bild newspaper quoted Cologne's chairman Claus Horstmann as saying that "he (Rafati) is alive". At a hastily arranged press conference, Cologne's director of sport Volker Finke explained that the game had been called off "due to an accident". "It is only considerate and correct that we do not go into details. The rest will be taken care of by the media department of the DFB (German Football Association) and DFL (German Football League)," he said. "All we can confirm is that the game will not take place due to an accident. "It was not a decision by Cologne and Mainz and I cannot reveal any further details."
