Hit for Istvan Kovacs! »The FIFA + Romanian referee was left without a match after the US debut!
Article by Daniel Scorpie – published Tuesday, June 24, 2025 21:22 / Updated Tuesday, June 24, 2025 21:36
Istvan Kovacs He was not delegated to the center in the last two stages of the group phase of the World Club Championship! The referee who drove the Champions League final will only be reserved at the match between Juventus and Manchester Cityscheduled on Thursday in Orlando, from 10:00 pm. At the center is the French Clement Turpin, the assistants being the nationals Nicolas Danos and Benjamin Pagès.
Basically, the designation of the referee in Carei as the fourth official at the most interesting game of the decisive round in the group stage could represent a “relegation”, given that Istvan Kovacs had received the strongest match at the beginning of the organized competition in the United States, PSG – Atletico 4-0. The first match between two European teams that was whistled by a European at the XL tournament in the US!
Given its very good share and the fact that it has the final Conference League, the Europa League and the Champions League within four seasons, it was expected that if it was delegated to the second stage of the Club World Cup, Kovacs would end up at least in the last two days of the preliminary phase, when the full picture of “16” will be established.
Not in Salzburg – Real Madrid, nor in extra -European duels!
Only surprise! From great reliable sources, the Romanian referee received the right to lead another top match in the USA, Juventus – Manchester Cityfrom Group G, after which the order of the first ranked premiums will be established. Not even at one of the games with teams from outside Europe has not taken a place at the center: Wydad Casablanca – Al-Ain and Al-Hilal – Pachuca!
Istvan Kovacs eliminated Clement Lenglet (two warnings) for protests in PSG – Atletico 5-0 / Photo: Dazn
Pierluigi Collina, the head of the FIFA referees commission, could thus punish Istvan Kovacs and chose as the fourth arbitrator between the duel between the bands prepared by Pep Guardiola and Igor Tudor.
Clement Turpin will whistle the Juventus – Manchester City duel from Orlando, the Frenchman being the same match in December 2024, in the group of Champions League, the victory then returning to Turin with 2-0!
An explanation of this decision could be the scandal made during and After the end of the match with PSG by the players and the coach of Atletico Madrid. The captain Kokebut also the goalkeeper Jan Oblak And Diego Simeone criticized the Romanian performance And they accused him that they would have given yellow cards in one direction.
Does Istvan Kovacs pay for the PSG – Atletico performance?
“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.
Istvan Kovacs shows the second yellow card to Clement Lenglet, for protests, and eliminates it in PSG-Atletico 5-0 / Photo: Dazn
And the Spanish press held the ison of those at Atletico: The daily I would describe the performance of the right Romanian “Patient, tendentious and confused”,And the brand gave him a line instead of star or stars, considering that the Romanian arbitrated very weak!
19Referees between the 29 Selected by FIFA for the World Clubs Championship 2025 have so far received two matches. There were ten with one match, between which half are from Europe
It should also be noted that the rest of three matches that FIFA had to decide the brigades were chosen: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands) at Al -Hilal – Pachuca, Canadian Drew Fischer at Wydad – Al -Ain, and at RB Salzburg – Real Madrid (another match between two European opponents), FIFA sent to Anonymous from Mauritania!
