International top referee becomes new ÖFB referee chief

As the football association announced on Thursday, the Hungarian prevailed in the application process among national and international candidates. Kassai refereed the 2011 Champions League final between FC Barcelona and Manchester United at London’s Wembley Stadium.

At the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, he was also used as a final referee. In addition, the 47-year-old was a referee at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 European Championships, as well as at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. In the semi-finals of the 2016 Club World Cup, Kassai was the first referee under whose direction the VAR was actively used in an official competition game.

Since the end of his active career in 2019, he has worked as an observer and consultant for UEFA and in various national associations in referee management. Kassai, who speaks German as well as Hungarian and English, had his last station so far in the Bulgarian association.

“Confused VAR”

According to the ÖFB, Kassai’s commitment is “as announced, the next important step in the ongoing process of evaluating and professionalizing the Austrian refereeing system”.

Recently, wrong decisions in the Bundesliga have repeatedly caused a stir, and there have also been disagreements within the referee guild for a long time. Another negative point is that there has not been an Austrian referee at a World Cup or European Championship since 2008.

Going forward, Kassai will be joined by his long-time assistant on the line, György Ring, who will assume the position of VAR manager. Ali Hofmann has been in charge of the full-time area of ​​refereeing since February. Together with him, Kassai and Ring will now take care of the concerns of the domestic elite referees. The activities of the referees’ commission, the highest sport-political body in the area of ​​referees, headed by Robert Sedlacek, are unchanged and are carried out in close coordination and cooperation with the main office.

Kassai said in an ÖFB broadcast about his new task: “I know the challenges that await us and, together with György Ring, I am highly motivated to tackle them with the ÖFB team, the Bundesliga and of course the referees.”

Sedlacek described Kassai as “an international top man. His large international network and his standing at UEFA will certainly be profitable for this process,” said the Viennese. Bundesliga CEO Christian Ebenbauer also welcomed Kassai’s appointment. “It is very gratifying that we can start the coming season in a new position in the main office and strengthened with broad expertise.”