2018 World Cup: Referee Felix Brych qualifies the World Cup as "bitter disappointment"

Position: 12:08 | Play time: 3 minutes

E is the 66th minute of Group E's second day of play: Serbia and Switzerland face each other on the pitch, and all players are bewitched to the penalty spot in the Swiss penalty area. But there is no waiting for the kick: the Serbian attack of Aleksandar Mitrović against two Swiss defenders

That would have been a good opportunity to take the lead 2 -1 with a penalty, After 90 minutes, the Swiss decided for the match – and at the end of the preliminary round, Serbia had to go home as the third in the group table.

Behind the decision not to give a penalty, was the German referee Felix Brych. For example, the ZDF's expert, Urs Meier, praised the missing whistle, especially Serbian officials and media outlets.

The former Bundesliga player and the current Serbian coach, Mladen Krstajić, hit hard: "I would send him to The Hague," he asked, referring at the headquarters of the war crimes tribunal in the former Yugoslavia. In addition, Krstajić demanded that Brych be judged there – "as they did in the game."

Brych became a "political problem"

The consequence: Krstajić had to pay 4340 euros for his statement, Brych, however, after the disputed decision to go home. For the referee of Munich puts an end to the World Cup now officially after the preliminary round. The referee will not be considered by FIFA and will have to go home. This confirmed the DFB.

Of course, for me and my team, a bitter disappointment. But life goes on, and we'll be back, "said Brych, back in Germany, now in public – four years ago in Brazil, Brych had been the least used in a second group match, but he's already Had not received the necessary trust from the referees of the World Federation Fifa.

"If you find yourself in criticism and even become a political problem, you do not have the necessary trust. You do not have a big chance in the tournament, "commented Markus Merk, with five World Cup entries." Registration Referee: "Then the commission prefers a referee who has convinced in several matches and who has gone through the tournament without damage. "

Disappointment for Arbitration

If his only World Cup appearance in Russia The FIFA decision was taken, we can only surmise him:" Obviously, the Felix's painful and controversial decision was deemed s I am serious about Fifa that there were no more appointments for him. That it is justified, our experts must note. We must accept this decision, "said Ronny Zimmermann, DFB Vice President Referees

For Brych, the decision is particularly annoying. was set high goals with his team: "Of course, we would like to reach the knockout stage," said Brych at the time.Mostly because of the early retirement of the German national team Brych would have was eligible for other appearances in the tournament.

German team leader Lutz Michael Fröhlich also regrets the decision of the Fifa officials – she was "for Felix Brych personally and in general l for German refereeing a bit disappointing. "Brych was awarded in 2017 as world referee of the year whistles up to 249 Bundesliga games here and led last year about the final of the Champions League.

The German refereeing guild is now represented in Russia by three referees: Deputy Mark Borsch, who belongs to the team of referees Brych, will not leave: as in the preliminary round on other tasks in the "video operation room" of Moscow, hopefully. Video badistants Bastian Dankert and Felix Zwayer will continue to be used at the World Cup.