EM 2024 - Flood of tickets in Volkspark: Czech Republic and Turkey set new record
Referee Istvan Kovacs had a full plate during the EURO 2024 group stage match between Czech Republic and Turkey (1:2). In total, the Hungarian official showed the yellow card 16 times – a new record in the history of the UEFA European Championships. Eleven of these went to the Turkish team. Adding the yellow-red card for Czech player Antonin Barak brings the total to 18 warnings in the game. In stoppage time, Czech player Tomas Chory also saw red.
As early as the 11th minute, Barak received the first yellow card for a tactical foul. He was sent off with a red card after 20 minutes. The tension on the field continued to heat up, as both teams were still vying for a spot in the Round of 16. The referee also struggled to maintain control of the match.
EURO 2024: 11 Yellows for Turkey – two red cards for Czech Republic
Referee Kovacs issued yellow cards to four players on the bench, meaning Czech striker Patrik Schick, who is contracted to Bayer Leverkusen, would have faced a suspension had they progressed to the Round of 16. It's also worth noting that, according to official UEFA statistics, Turkey committed only nine fouls in the entire game but received eleven yellow cards.
In some situations, the referee could have shown more finesse, such as in the elbow check by the Turkish player Yildiz in the first half. In stoppage time, there was even more colorful behavior between players from both teams.
The previous record for yellow cards in an EURO game was ten, and that match also involved the Czech Republic. This card fest took place in the group stage fixture against the German team at EURO 1996 in England.
Despite the relatively low number of fouls committed by Turkey, referee Kovacs expelled two Czech Republic players during the EURO 2024 group stage match against Turkey. This resulted in a significant disadvantage for the Czech Republic, as their top striker Patrik Schick, from Bayer Leverkusen, would have been suspended if they had progressed to the Round of 16 due to Kovacs' yellow card warnings to players on the bench. Furthermore, the Czech Republic faced Expulsion from the European Football Championship after Tomas Chory received a red card in stoppage time.
