Felix Brych
Introduction '''Felix Brych''' (born 3 August 1975) is a German football referee. He referees for SV Am Hart München of the Bavarian Football Association. He is a former FIFA referee and was ranked as a UEFA elite category referee.
Refereeing career Brych started refereeing in the Bundesliga in 2004 and was awarded his FIFA badge in 2007.He refereed his first senior international match in October that year, taking charge of Romania's 2–0 win over Luxembourg in UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Group G. In February 2008, Brych was appointed to referee the 2007–08 UEFA Cup Round of 32 match between Panathinaikos and Rangers, and in October 2008, he officiated the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League Group D match between Liverpool and PSV Eindhoven.Brych officiated the first leg of the 2011–12 Champions League semi-final between Chelsea and Barcelona, a match that finished with a win for the Blues over the defending champions. In August 2013 he officiated an international friendly between England and Scotland at Wembley Stadium.On 14 May 2014, Brych refereed the 2014 UEFA Europa League Final between Sevilla and Benfica. The match finished 0–0 after extra time, and went to a penalty shoot-out, which Sevilla won 4–2, in what was considered a controversial officiating.On 12 May 2017, Brych was chosen by UEFA as the referee for the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final, played in Cardiff on 3 June 2017 between Juventus and Real Madrid. He was joined by assistants Mark Borsch and Stefan Lupp, and the fourth official was Serbian Milorad Mažić. Bastian Dankert and Marco Fritz served as the additional assistant referees, with Rafael Foltyn appointed as the reserve assistant referee.On 29 March 2018, Brych was selected by FIFA as one of the referees to officiate at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, his second FIFA World Cup. Brych was joined by assistants Mark Borsch and Stefan Lupp. He refereed just one game at the tournament, Switzerland's 2–1 win over Serbia. However, after controversially not awarding Serbia a penalty, FIFA made the decision that Brych would officiate no further matches at the tournament. The politically explosive match was followed by heavy criticism from the Serbian media and representatives of Serbian football. In this regard, Mladen Krstajić, the coach of the Serbia national team, said one day after the lost game with a view to the war crimes of the Yugoslav Wars: "I would send him to the Hague. Then they could put him on trial, like he did to us." For this Krstajić was punished with a fine of 5,000 Swiss francs.At UEFA Euro 2020 he was rehabilitated and refereed one game of the Round of 16, Belgium's 1-0 win over Portugal, one quarter-final (England's 4-0 win over Ukraine) and finally the semi-final game of Italy against Spain at Wembley Stadium, London on 6 July 2021.On 25 November 2023, Brych torn his PCL during a game between Eintracht Frankfurt and VfB Stuttgart. The game also marked Brych 344th appearance in the Bundesliga which tied Wolfgang Stark for the most in Bundesliga history.
Personal life Outside football Brych is a qualified doctor of law, having written his doctorate about sport.
Record ===Major national team competition=== 2014 FIFA World Cup – Brazil Date  Match  Venue  Round 14 June 2014   –   Fortaleza  Group stage 22 June 2014   –   Rio De Janeiro  Group stage 2018 FIFA World Cup – Russia Date  Match  Venue  Round 22 June 2018   –   Kaliningrad  Group stage UEFA Euro 2016 – France Date  Match  Venue  Round 16 June 2016   –   Lens  Group stage 22 June 2016   –   Nice  Group stage 30 June 2016   –   Marseille  Quarter-finals UEFA Euro 2020 – Europe Date  Match  Venue  Round 13 June 2021   –    Amsterdam  Group stage 21 June 2021   –    Saint Petersburg  Group Stage 27 June 2021   –    Seville  Round of 16 3 July 2021   –    Rome  Quarter-finals 6 July 2021   –    London  Semi-finals===Other matches=== Other matches Date  Match  Venue  Round 29 July 2012   –    London  OGS 4 August 2012   –    Newcastle  OKS 22 June 2013   –    Belo Horizonte  Confed===UEFA club competition=== UEFA club competition finals Date  Match  Venue  Round 14 May 2014   Sevilla –  Benfica   Turin  UELF 3 June 2017   Juventus –  Real Madrid   Cardiff UCLF
Honours * Globe Soccer Awards – Best Referee of the Year: 2017* IFFHS World's Best Man Referee: 2017, 2021* IFFHS World's Best Man Referee of the Decade 2011–2020* IFFHS World's Best Man Referee of the 21st Century 2001–2020
References
External links *  Profile at dfb.de *  Profile at worldfootball.net Felix Brych