A significant scandal has erupted within the Central Commission of Referees just one week before the kickoff of the Superliga. Referees have voiced their frustrations regarding their earnings, which they argue barely cover their obligations to the state. They have pointed fingers at Kyros Vassaras, who they claim deflects responsibility onto Răzvan Burleanu while failing to address their demands.
The situation in Romanian refereeing is increasingly precarious. Reports have surfaced indicating dissatisfaction among referees and assistants in the Superliga about the inadequate conditions that hinder their performance.
“You demand professionalism from us all day, yet you treat us like amateurs! This can’t continue. We’re saying stop and considering other options,” referees conveyed to President Kyros Vassaras following a three-day seminar in Mogoșoaia and Buftea.
Referees Claim Earnings Below Delivery Workers
The core of the discontent revolves around the compensation referees receive for officiating matches. Central referees earn 6,000 lei per Superliga match, while assistant referees receive 3,950 lei.
“What’s happening at the CCA is pure chaos! Everyone is dissatisfied… You can’t perform when you earn less than a food delivery worker in Bangladesh…” insiders have claimed.
Referees argue that after a match, they are left with minimal earnings. “We have PFA (Independent Activity) statuses; no one has an employment contract, and we won’t earn a single penny for retirement. We are the last people considered. Performance is demanded, yet we are treated as we are,” they added.
Vassaras Dismisses Concerns
While referees raised their grievances with Kyros Vassaras, he reportedly responded defensively when asked for concrete answers.
“He has deceived us with empty promises. He claims to be caught between us and the FRF, and doesn’t want to upset Burleanu. But why should we care about Burleanu? Does he not have a salary? Does he not receive allowances? Does he not stay in five-star hotels and eat the best food? We sleep in three-star hotels and eat at gas stations… The discontent is palpable,” insiders expressed.
Previously, referees could claim a maximum of 700 lei for transportation costs, which was often not allocated to each member of the officiating team, forcing several referees to share transportation.
Net Earnings for Superliga Referees
The scandal primarily stems from the amounts referees receive. “Most referees earn over 100,000 lei annually. However, around 25,000 lei goes to pension contributions, 10,000 lei for health insurance, and 7,000 lei for income tax. Therefore, we quickly lose 42,000 lei from our earnings,” they explained.
From the 6,000 lei a central referee receives per match, approximately 800 lei must be set aside for two nights of accommodation, at least 800 lei for transport, and a minimum of 300 lei for meals over two days. Thus, they are left with around 4,100 lei.
For an assistant referee, who earns 3,950 lei per match, the remaining amount is about 2,000 lei.
If assigned to no more than two matches a month, an assistant referee is left with less than a thousand euros to live on. “If we shift to Uber or Bolt, we would certainly earn more money without facing abuse from spectators during matches,” one noted.
Superliga Referees Seek Alternate Employment
Despite their complaints, Kyros Vassaras has made no effort to address their concerns, even threatening those present at the courses that he is unfazed by their discontent and that he is being ridiculed within the CCA.
What comes next? “Currently, our options are either to seek other jobs, as we need income, or to scale back our involvement and see what unfolds,” they shared.
“If FRF doesn’t wake up, they will face a significant problem and will be left without referees for Liga 1. People will become unavailable because they will find jobs and businesses, and will no longer be at their mercy,” they warned.
Referee Compensation in Liga 1
Central: 6,000 lei
Assistant: 3,950 lei
VAR: 3,000 lei
Reserve: 2,000 lei
Assistant VAR: 2,000 lei
Disrespect Towards Referees
At the recent physical tests held at Mogoșoaia and Buftea, FRF announced that 15 referees failed to pass their physical assessments.
These included 8 referees: Radu Petrescu, Andrei Chivulete, Horia Mladinovici, Ionuț Coza, Bogdan Dumitrache, Marius Omuț, Ovidiu Mazilu, and Cătălin Buși; and 7 assistants: Radu Ghinguleac, Doru Lucaciu, Marius Marchidanu, Marius Bobe, Andrei Constantinescu, Raul Ghiciulescu, and Alexandru Cerei.
“Failing a physical test is not an excuse when you’re deemed a professional referee. You train daily, etc. But when you see you’re not respected at all, you lose the motivation to perform. Zero conditions, professional demands on people treated as amateurs. This can’t continue. We will abandon refereeing and pursue other careers. That’s life!” a referee stated.
Neglect towards Injured Referees
In a shocking incident, it was revealed how FRF and CCA failed to assist an injured assistant referee. George Duță suffered an injury during the match between Metaloglobus and Petrolul in July 2025. “Nobody from the Commission paid him any attention. He had to undergo surgery and, during his three-month recovery, had no source of income. He was injured at work, not on the street or at the market. This is an incredible disregard,” sources disclosed.
After the incident at Clinceni, Duță was assigned again after three months, on October 27, 2025, for the match Botoșani – Hermannstadt.
Abroad, federations provide health insurance for referees. Each year, they benefit from top-notch examinations, consultations, specialized treatments, massages, and physiotherapy. Here, you get scolded for getting injured, almost as if we are robots. Performance on empty stomachs, while those in charge need to lower their expectations of referees in Romanian officiating.
Case Study: Szabolcs Kovacs: 5,481 lei/month
Referee Szabolcs Kovacs, from Carei, officiated 24 Superliga matches in the 2025-2026 season as a central referee. Matches where he served as a reserve or VAR/assistant VAR are not included in this total.
On paper, Kovacs earned 144,000 lei for those 24 matches. After paying contributions for CAS (pension), CASS (health), and income tax, he was left with 94,770 lei. From this, travel-related expenses totaled about 29,000 lei, leaving roughly 65,770 lei annually, or about 5,481 lei monthly, not accounting for medical treatments, training, and equipment costs.
Top Central Referees in the 2025-2026 Season
Szabolcs Kovacs: 24 matches
Marcel Bîrsan: 23 matches
Horațiu Feșnic: 22 matches
Rareș Vidican: 22 matches
Marian Barbu: 20 matches
Florin Andrei: 20 matches
Istvan Kovacs: 17 matches
Sebastian Colțescu: 16 matches
George Roman: 16 matches
Radu Petrescu: 14 matches
Iulian Călin: 14 matches
Viorel Flueran: 13 matches
Horia Mladinovici: 12 matches
Andrei Chivulete: 11 matches
Cătălin Găman: 10 matches
