Soccer can get a little out of hand, and sometimes the coaches are even crazier than the players. This coach took things a little bit too far, as he decided to secretly give the ref a gift after the game. 

According to the PSRA statement, Portland Thorns coach Mark Parsons approached officials for a customary handshake after a match last month, then he gave him a surprise. This story comes from the Oregonian, and details exactly what went down. 

The Professional Soccer Referees Association released a statement Wednesday condemning Portland Thorns coach Mark Parsons for his actions following a match in North Carolina on March 24 and criticizing the National Women’s Soccer League for their handling of the incident.

The Professional Soccer Referees Association, the certified labor union representing officials employed by PRO, contends that Parsons “squeezed a hidden clump of dirt and grass” into the hands of an official when going to shake hands with the referees after the game. The PSRA claims that the action was “willful, intentional and insulting.”

Prior to the release of PSRA’s statement, Parsons told the media that he had been incorrectly accused. He do not discuss the specifics of the incident. The Thorns did not release any additional statements following PSRA’s statement Wednesday.

“Maybe put myself in a difficult spot,” Parsons said. “Obviously, we disagreed unbelievably strongly about what the decision was or what the accusation was, which I’m not going to talk about.”

While Parsons did not talk about what led to the interaction with the official, he and the club may have been unhappy with the referee’s decision not to call a penalty in the 80th minute when Midge Purce appeared to be taken down in the box. 

What’s crazy is people are actually up in arms over this hidden clump of dirt. You would think this would be a story straight from The Onion, but no, it’s a real story. SMH.