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DPA - Babak Rafati's future as a Bundesliga referee remains in doubt the head of Germany's referees said on Tuesday.

The 41-year-old Rafati attempted suicide shortly before he was due to officiate a Bundesliga match between Cologne and Mainz 05 on Saturday.

He was found with his wrists slit in his hotel room and taken to hospital, from where he was released on Monday.

Neither the police nor the German football federation (DFB) have made any statement about the possible motives that drove the German with Iranian roots to such a drastic step.

DFB referee boss Herbert Fandel said in an interview published Tuesday that he could not yet answer the question whether Rafati, who is receiving treatment outside of hospital, would return to refereeing.

Fandel told dpa that it was necessary to evaluate the circumstances surrounding refereeing in Germany.

He said he favoured increasing the number of full-time employees working with referees within the DFB from six and introducing psychological counselling for referees.

'Principally I am always in favour of learning lessons from things that have happened and to try to take some positives from it. But I will certainly discuss these measures now or in public,' he said.
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