Bundesliga: Referee Brych has to leave injured in record game

Bundesliga referee Brych has to leave the record game injured

Had to be treated during his record-breaking effort: Felix Brych. photo

© Arne Dedert/dpa

Felix Brych imagined his record game to be completely different. At first everything goes as usual, but then he gets injured – and has to give up. There is a risk of a long break.

For football referee Felix Brych, the Bundesliga record game ended in the hospital. The referee, who equalized Wolfgang Stark’s record in his 344th Bundesliga game in the duel between Eintracht Frankfurt and VfB Stuttgart (1:2), had to pass at halftime due to suspected cruciate ligament rupture.

“Unfortunately there are bad diagnoses,” said Brych on the TV channel Sky after initial feedback from the doctors. An MRI in the evening should provide clarity about the severity of the injury.

“That’s life”

“It is what it is. That’s life. Now I’m standing here and have the record. I’m happy about that too. On the other hand, I’m also down,” added Brych. 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. Brych was treated on the Eintracht bench and then returned to the pitch with a white tape bandage.

“I lay on the ground twice and thought: This can’t be true. I collapsed. I already noticed that my knee wasn’t doing well,” said Brych. 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.”

Homepage Brych Brych at the DFB Referee at the DFB Contact Bavarian Football Association with Felix Brych Post Eintracht Frankfurt

dpa

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