French football referee Johan Hamel dies of stroke during training

ANKARA

French football referee Johan Hamel died after suffering a stroke while in training on Wednesday, the Union of Elite Football Referees (SAFE) in France confirmed on Twitter. He was 42.

He had been a French top-tier Ligue 1 referee since the 2015-16 season, and oversaw 135 league matches.

Hamel refereed the French league match between Lille and Rennes on Nov. 6 that ended 1-1, and was a Video Assistant Referee in the Paris Saint Germain-Auxerre game in Paris on Sunday. The PSG won the match 5-0.

He had also officiated in the Champions League, Europa and Europa Conference League.

Many clubs including Lille, Monaco and PSG offered their condolences on social media.