There was big information emanating from the Bundesliga entrance on Sunday. Maybe German soccer’s most-respected match official, Dr. Felix Brych, shall be hanging up his boots after the season. The 49-year-old introduced his determination by way of German tv channel Welt TV.
Dr. Brych formally turned the Bundesliga’s all-time document holder for variety of high flight matches officiated on matchday three of the present 2024/25 Bundesliga marketing campaign. He surpassed Wolfgang Stark’s earlier document of 344 Bundesliga fixtures officiated.
At current, Brych has reffed 352 Bundesliga video games. Retirement has however been within the playing cards for a while. Brych suffered a horrible PCL tear in November 2023 matchday 12 encounter between Eintracht Frankfurt and Stuttgart. This was the sport during which he tied Stark’s document.
After being sidelined for almost a yr, Brych returned to work this autumn. A brand new harm incurred throughout a matchday 18 encounter between Holstein Kiel and Hoffenheim. which left him sidelined once more this yr.
Brych was already allowed to proceed past the traditional necessary German refereeing retirement age of 47.
“As an athlete, one realises sooner or later that it turns into more and more troublesome to keep up this efficiency stage,” Brych famous on the TV channel. “Coaching turns into increasingly more arduous. It’s a dream to referee within the Bundesliga, however it should nonetheless be value it. I’m glad I can take this step. I want to set the end-line for myself.”
As is the case with any referee, Brych’s greatest profession errors will all the time be remembered. The phantom purpose awarded to Leverkusen’s Stefan Keißling in October 2013 shall by no means be forgotten by German soccer followers.
On the worldwide stage, Brych’s well-known non-call in Switzerland’s FIFA 2018 World Cup group stage win over Serbia shall by no means be forgotten. Brych was not allowed to whistle any extra video games at that event, although he was later rehabilitated for the 2021 European Championship.
Throughout his lengthy profession, Brych was honored as Referee of the 12 months in Germany 5 occasions (2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021) and twice (2017 and 2021) as world’s finest referee. He additionally whistled two DFB Cup finals in 2015 and 2021 and the UEFA Champions League Ultimate in 2017.
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