Bundesliga
Referee Brych sets a record and has to retire injured
Had to be treated during his record-breaking effort: Felix Brych. photo
© Arne Dedert/dpa
Felix Brych certainly imagined his record game to be completely different. At first everything goes as usual, but then he gets injured – and has to give up. Schwengers is making his Bundesliga debut for him.
Something different than expected: referee Felix Brych (48) set a Bundesliga record, but was only able to lead the game until halftime after an injury.
Brych, who was born in Munich, refereed his 344th Bundesliga game in the duel between Eintracht Frankfurt and VfB Stuttgart and drew level with record holder Wolfgang Stark. But Brych couldn’t continue after half-time. Before that, after just over 30 minutes, he buckled his right knee during a movement during a Frankfurt attack. He then limped across the field before the game was interrupted in the 34th minute.
Out after the first half
Brych was treated on the Eintracht bench and then returned to the pitch with a white tape bandage. During the break it was decided that Brych could no longer play. The fourth official, Patrick Schwengers (28), took over for him, celebrating his Bundesliga debut as the main referee. Schwengers started the game around five minutes late because of the substitution.
Brych, who ended his international career, celebrated his Bundesliga debut on August 28, 2004 in the game between Hertha BSC and 1. FSV Mainz 05. “I’m of course proud because this number also expresses a certain longevity,” he said Two-time world referee of the year said in a statement from the German Football Association: “Because we referees can never really win anything, we define ourselves by such records.”