Referee Brych: Open as to how long it will continue
Top referee Felix Brych has left it open as to how long he would like to continue his career after the Bundesliga record is set. "The DFB and I have agreed that we will look from year to year. I'm pleased and grateful that I can whistle this season, but I've also completed the performance course flawlessly," the 48-year-old told the German Press Agency. "It won't go on forever, it's not biologically possible. When I start, I want to be fit and know that I can perform."
Brych's next appearance in the Bundesliga will be his 344th, which would equal Wolfgang Stark's record. The Lower Bavarian, who turns 54 this Monday, officiated his 344th match in May 2017. Brych's record match could come as early as the next matchday. The fixtures are always published on the Thursday before the match.
Brych has been a DFB referee since 1999 and has officiated Bundesliga matches since 2004. He no longer officiates internationally. He holds a doctorate in law from Munich and works as head of the talent development and refereeing department at the Bavarian Football Association. "After my career as a referee, I would like to pass on my knowledge to younger referees. Soccer not only needs good goalkeepers and strikers, but also referees. And that's where I want to help," said the two-time World Referee of the Year.
An age limit for Bundesliga referees is not stipulated in the statutes, but was common practice in the German Football Association (DFB) for many years. This year, the Frankfurt/Main Regional Court ruled in a dispute involving Manuel Gräfe that the age limit of 47 years for top referees at the DFB is not lawful. This is now only a point of reference.
Brych regrets that the number of hostilities in soccer has increased in the lower divisions. "In amateur soccer, hostility towards referees has clearly increased. I don't know what happens there from my time. It's stayed the same in professional soccer," said Brych. "Over the years, however, we've seen an increase in mostly anonymous attacks from social media. Some of it is sneaky, malicious and nasty, and the intensity has also increased."
Brych mentioned his gratitude towards the DFB, expressing his satisfaction in officiating this season, but acknowledged that his career can't last forever due to biological limitations. As a former international referee, Brych now plans to contribute to the development of younger referees, stating that soccer needs competent referees alongside skilled goalkeepers and strikers.
Source: www.dpa.com
