Vastly experienced UEFA and FIFA referee Felix Brych will be out for an extended period due to an ACL injury.
The recognizable 48-year-old German collapsed while officiating Eintracht Frankfurt vs Stuttgart on Saturday and had to be replaced.
The match was Brych’s 344th in the Bundesliga – a new record – but he only made 45 minutes.
The news presents a huge problem for UEFA and FIFA, who are not only under pressure for officiating standards but also an overload of games.
Elite youngsters Gavi and Warren Zaire-Emery picked up fatigue injuries during dead-rubber Euro 2024 qualifiers, and now one of the game’s top officials is out of action.
“It is like it is. That’s life,” Brych said post-match. “Now I’m standing here, and I have the record. That pleases me too. On the other hand, I’m also down.”
Brych will undergo surgery immediately and is expected to be out of action for at least nine months.
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