Bundesliga
Sad record game: Referee Brych suffers a torn cruciate ligament
Referee Felix Brych tore a cruciate ligament during his record-breaking appearance. photo
© Arne Dedert/dpa
Felix Brych imagined his record game to be completely different. The experienced referee seriously injured his knee and was out for a long time.
referee Felix Brych tore his cruciate ligament in his record-breaking Bundesliga game.
This bitter diagnosis was revealed by an MRI scan after the game between Eintracht Frankfurt and VfB Stuttgart (1:2), in which the referee equalized Wolfgang Stark’s record with his 344th Bundesliga appearance.
According to the German Football Association on Sunday, the 48-year-old will undergo surgery as soon as possible. The duration of Brych’s downtime “cannot yet be estimated,” it said in a statement. “It is what it is. That’s life. Now I’m standing here and have the record. I’m happy about that. On the other hand, I’m also down,” said Brych on Saturday evening about his mishap.
The experienced referee bent his right knee during an attack by Frankfurt in the 32nd minute. “I lay on the ground twice and thought: This can’t be true. I already noticed that my knee wasn’t doing well,” Brych described the scene.
He then hobbled across the field and had to seek treatment shortly afterwards. Brych initially continued to whistle with a white tape bandage, but at half-time he handed over control of the game to fourth official Patrick Schwengers on the advice of the doctors. “The doctors said it would be risky to continue,” he reported.
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 DFB statement: “Because we referees can never really win anything, we define ourselves by such records.” His next goal is now to return to the pitch.