Referee Brych sets record and has to retire injured
A little different than expected: referee Felix Brych (48) set a Bundesliga record, but was only able to officiate until half-time in what was a special match for him after an injury.
Munich-born Brych refereed his 344th Bundesliga match in total in the clash between Eintracht Frankfurt and VfB Stuttgart, equaling the record held by Wolfgang Stark. However, things did not continue for Brych after half-time. After just over 30 minutes, he had twisted his right knee during a Frankfurt attack. He then limped across the pitch before the game was interrupted in the 34th minute.
Out after the first half
Brych received treatment on the Eintracht bench and then returned to the pitch with a white tape bandage. During the break, it was decided that Brych would not be able to continue. He was replaced by fourth official Patrick Schwengers (28), who was celebrating his Bundesliga debut as head referee. Schwengers blew the whistle after a delay of around five minutes due to the change.
Brych, who has ended his international career, celebrated his Bundesliga premiere on August 28, 2004 in the match between Hertha BSC and 1. FSV Mainz 05. "I am of course proud, because this number also expresses a certain longevity," the two-time World Referee of the Year had previously said in a statement from the German Football Association: "Because we referees can never really win anything, we define ourselves through such records."
Despite reaching a significant milestone by refereeing his 344th Bundesliga match, Felix Brych had to leave the game between Eintracht Frankfurt and VfB Stuttgart prematurely due to an injury, marking a sad end to his half in the DFB cup.
The DFB and soccer fans alike will miss Brych's expertise as a referee, given his exceptional career, including officiating in numerous high-profile Bundesliga matches and even being named World Referee of the Year twice.
Source: www.dpa.com
