Article by Alexandru Barbu – Published Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 3:18 p.m. / Updated Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 3:18 p.m.
Kyros Vassaras leads a suspected force in Romanian football. The Greek rarely responds, has cultivated secretomania at CCA and needs to be replaced.
A shocking stage from the perspective of arbitrations has ended. Only the match from Sibiuwith the head of the VAR, Ovidiu Hațegan, delegate, contains 3 controversial phases, all judged pro-CFR.
The missed penalty by Florescu needs to be repeated, Peacock rudely forced contact from that “11 meters” missed by Korenica, again protocol prohibits VAR officials from reviewing the Synian-Ciubotaru duelwhich had led Chivulete to dictate a second penalty kick in favor of the hosts, as we are not talking about a flagrant error.
Djokovic and Politic were in the “hat” before Florescu shot. Both had an impact in the continuation of the phase, so the penalty had to be repeated
These after the 27th round he had started with a Romanian by Radu Petrescuthe referee who didn't want to admit on the spot that he had called a silly free-kick – he could call for the referee's ball – and then slyly blew his whistle. His bad luck: no pair of players had a duel even 1% contentious.
Adrian Porumboiu believes that George Găman was also wrong in Arad.
Vassaras runs the CCA, a flawed forum. Arbitrations are dubious. We would have done the same without Kyros
Since 2014, since the Romanian Football Federation hired Kyros Vassaras as the head of the Central Referees Commission, we have been witnessing vicissitudes of results. And in the top championships on the continent there are scandalous decisions, including after the implementation of video refereeing.
However, it is not the phases judged anapoda that are the big problem of CCA. The commission has no credibility and, worse, is transparently discretionary.
Vassaras hides in an acropolis when the Superliga boils because of the whistle-blowers, he comments not according to the public interest, but to achieve his own goals. One of them – the protection of the “centrals” propelled towards the top competitions, otherwise the only major achievement of Vassaras, who, through his connections, catapulted Romanian referees, see the case of Istvan Kovacs, to the highest level.
Does the CCA protect or is it an accomplice?
In 2023, PGMOL, the referees commission in England, publishes the audio recording from the VAR room from the match Tottenham – Liverpoolin which miscommunication between the referees incorrectly disallowed a goal. Because an admitted, admitted and explained blunder clears up suspicions of theft.
4 days have passed and it is still a secret why Radu Petrescu wanted to invent a foul in Ploiesti. What was his explanation, his reasoning? Only a statement signed by CCAand that fake one. “The goal should have been validated” contained the reaction posted on frf.ro, Friday, around midnight, although Petrescu had committed it before the ball entered the goal. Technically, it's not a disallowed goal.
We struggle to understand the motivations of referees who respond to a closed world, even though they are part of a phenomenon consumed by millions.
The federation decides
Vassaras' mandate did not eliminate games ruined by referees, further cornered an untouchable faction.
If the legitimate questions about the morality of the referees persist, if Radu Petrescu makes a Romanian in prime-time, if the head of VAR allows a flagrant violation of the regulation, what good is Kyros Vassaras at the head of the CCA?
The Federation establishes. He will be content to collect from now on from Vassaras' relations with Nyon or he will dismiss Kyros, who has not changed Romanian refereeing for the better.
