DORTMUND - German Fifa referee Babak Rafati was released from a Cologne hospital yesterday, two days after attempting suicide.

The 41-year-old referee tried to kill himself shortly before he was due to officiate in a Bundesliga match between Cologne and Mainz 05, but was found in his hotel room by the other match officials.

The president of the German football league, Reinhard Rauball, meanwhile, called on all those involved in football to think about the way they deal with referees and then possibly to change it.

"You should constantly think about this topic. I would call on people to re-evaluate the way they think about it," Rauball said at the AGM of his club Borussia Dortmund.

He hopes that Rafati will be able to return to officiating in the Bundesliga soon.

"We are hoping that he will be better soon and that some day in the not too distant future he will be able to officiate in a match."

Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said in an interview with Die Welt newspaper that football's controlling body Fifa was adding to the pressure referees found themselves under. "Fifa leaves the referees hanging out to dry. For instance, the passive offside rule or their refusal to allow goal-line technology. Fifa is doing nothing to assist the referees," he said. - Sapa-DPA