Article by Daniel Scorpie – published on Sunday, June 29, 2025 22:39 / Updated Sunday, June 29, 2025 23:06
Istvan Kovacs He was also omitted from the list of referees delegated to lead the matches in the “Optimile” of the World Club Champion. The “Central” of Carei was not sent by FIFA to officiate than as a reserve in the 3rd groups, after the Romanian performance from PSG – Atletico 4-0 attracted severe critics from Diego Simeone and his students.
What happens to Istvan Kovacs? The referee who whistled the final Champions League a month ago, PSG – Inter 5-0, disappeared unexpectedly from the spotlight at the World Cup 2025. And this after FIFA had reserved for the beginning of the US competition a five -star duel, PSG – Atletico Madrid, although two European teams were facing!
What he did or what did not do well on Rose Bowl from Pasadena only the ones from FIFA, but the 40-year-old referee has been put on hold then, and for two weeks no more whistles in America!
First sign: Kovacs, reserve at Juventus – Manchester City
Kovacs said step in the second round, and in the last groups he was put on the fourth referee at the match Juventus – Manchester City 2-5, played on Thursday.
Voices were found that claimed that Pierluigi Collina. The head of the FIFA referees commission would actually keep it for the meetings that really matter, starting from the eliminatory phases. Only, surprise! Kovacs is not even a reserve in “Last 16”.
French François Letexier He officiated at Palmeiras – Botafogo 1-0 (after extensions), then Slovenian Slavko Vinčić Benfica whistled – Chelsea 1-4 (also after extra time), and this evening, the Brazilian Wilton Sampaio He drove PSG – Inter Miami 4-0.
3The matches received from FIFA two center referees at the CWC 2025: Brazilian Wilton Sampaio and Venezuean Jesús Valenzuela. 23 have two delegations, and four remain with a match until the “optimi” phase
The list of the 5 “optimal” players to play has at the center: English Michael Oliver (Flamego – Bayern, today, 23:00), Salvadorian Ivan Barton (Inter – fluminense, scheduled tomorrow), Venezuelan Jesus Valenzuela (Manchester City – al -Hilal), Polish Szymon Marciniak (Real Madrid – Juventus), both Tuesday, and the Argentine Facundo Tollo (Dortmund – Monterrey, Wednesday).
Only the Norwegian Espen Ekas, Paraguayan Juan Gabriel Benitz and Senegalese Issa Sy have only one match in the US!
The Norwegian Espen Eskas, the other European referee who stayed with a match at the center at Club World Club 2025, was, at least, reserve at Real Madrid – Juventus, while Paraguayan Juan Benítez will be the fourth official at Dortmund – Monterrey.
Istvan Kovacs shows the second yellow card to Clement Lenglet, for protests, and eliminates it in PSG-Atletico 5-0 / Photo: Dazn
Thus, after consuming 56 games (up to the threshold of final), only four centrals will remain (out of a total of 29) with a single match received from FIFA at the North American competition: Espen Eskas, Issa SY, Juan Gabriel Benítez and Istvan Kovacs.
9Yellow and one red cards granted Istvan Kovacs in PSG – Atletico Madrid 4-0, only two warnings being in the European Champion's camp
An explanation of this decision could be the scandal made during and after the end of the match with PSG by the players and Atletico Madrid coach. Captain Koke, as well as goalkeeper Jan Oblak and Diego Simeone, criticized the Romanian performance and accused him of giving yellow cards in one direction.
“From eight faults made by us, he gave us seven warnings!”, Oblak and Cholo Simeone complained after the last whistle of the match to ask for a high tone to Kovacs.
The Spanish press held the Ison of Atletico: AS described the Romanian performance as “biased, tendentious and confused”, and the brand gave him a line instead of stars, considering that the Romanian arbitrated very weak!
