Guardian - The Bundesliga game between Cologne and Mainz was called off 40 minutes before kick-off after the referee was found injured in his hotel room, following what police called an "apparent suicide attempt".
The official, Babak Rafati, was discovered in his room on Saturday morning having "sustained injuries with no sign of any involvement by a third party," the police spokesman Andre Fassbender said. "It looks like a suicide attempt, yes."
Cologne said they were told that Rafati was unavailable less than two hours before the game, and that a replacement referee could not be found at such short notice. The Cologne sporting director Volker Finke said: "It is appropriate and correct that the game does not take place."
Rafati, a 41-year-old banker of Iranian origin, has been a Bundesliga official for six years, his first match also being between Cologne and Mainz. He had been a Fifa referee since 2008, but was not nominated by the German Football Federation to referee this year at international level.
Bundesliga coaches expressed their shock at the news, which comes just over two years after the Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke took his own life after battling with depression for several years.
The Hannover 96 coach, Mirko Slomka, told German Sky: "I know him very well, the news has shocked me greatly." Schalke's coach, Huub Stevens, said: "It's hard to believe that something like this can happen. I am lost for words.
"Health is always the most important thing and football is only a minor matter in comparison. I can imagine no one wants to play after hearing the news."