István Kovács (referee)

István Kovács[1] (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈiʃtvaːn ˈkovaːt͡ʃ]; born 16 September 1984) is a Hungarian-Romanian football referee who officiates primarily in the Liga I.[2] He has been a full international for FIFA since 2018 and a UEFA elite referee since 2019.[3][4]

The native form of this personal name is Kovács István. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.
István Kovács
Kovács in 2020
Born (1984-09-16) 16 September 1984
Carei, Romania
Other occupation PE teacher
Domestic
Years League Role
2007– Liga I Referee
International
Years League Role
2010– FIFA listed Referee
2019– UEFA Elite Referee
2021– FIFA listed Video match official

Career

Kovács was selected for Euro 2020 alongside his compatriot Ovidiu Hațegan.[5][6] He was in charge of one group stage game between the Netherlands and North Macedonia.[7]

On 26 April 2022, Kovács officiated the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final between Manchester City and Real Madrid, which the English side won 4–3.[8] After a good performance, Kovács was praised by the media especially for the advantage let before Bernardo Silva's goal.[8][9] As a reward, the UEFA Referees Committee chose him to officiate the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League final.[10]

On 25 May 2022, Kovács was in charge of the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League final between A.S. Roma and Feyenoord, the first final in this competition.[7]

István Kovács was appointed for the 2022 FIFA World Cup along with his compatriot assistant referees Vasile Marinescu and Mihai Artene.[11] He was the fourth official in eight matches, but did not referee any games at the tournament.[12]

On 19 January 2023, Kovács refereed the final of the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup between Iraq and Oman.[13]

In January 2023, he was one of six match officials appointed for the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco.[14] On 7 February, he oversaw the semi-final between Flamengo and Al Hilal.[15]

In June 2023, Kovács was appointed as the fourth official for the UEFA Champions League final.[16]

Personal life

Born in Carei to a Hungarian father and a Swabian mother, Kovács is a dual citizen,[17] having acquired Hungarian citizenship in 2011.[18] His younger brother, Szabolcs, is also a referee in the Liga I.[19]

Honours
  • Honorary Citizen of Carei (2023)[20]

See also

References
  1. "GNK Dinamo Zagreb – Chelsea FC Match press kit" (PDF). UEFA.com. UEFA. 5 September 2022. p. 2. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  2. Crăiţoiu, Andrei; Manolache, Liviu (6 December 2021). "Istvan Kovacs intră în istoria arbitrajului din România! Doar 3 "centrali" au mai bifat această performanță importantă" [Istvan Kovacs enters Romanian refereeing history! Only 3 "central" referees have ever achieved this important performance]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  3. "2023 Refereeing International Lists" (PDF). FIFA Digital Assets Hub. FIFA. January 2023. p. 161. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  4. "Istvan Kovacs, promovare în Elite Class" [Istvan Kovacs, promotion to Elite Class]. Romanian Football Federation (in Romanian). 14 December 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  5. Serban, Teodor (21 April 2021). "Doi romani alesi de UEFA sa arbitreze meciuri la EURO. Cine sunt acestia" [Two Romanians chosen by UEFA to referee matches at the EURO. Who they are]. Ziare.com (in Romanian). Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  6. "Referee teams for UEFA EURO 2020 appointed". UEFA.com. 21 April 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  7. "Heady times for Tirana final referee Kovacs". UEFA.com. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  8. Hytner, David (26 April 2022). "Manchester City edge Real Madrid in 4-3 thriller but Benzema keeps tie alive". The Guardian. Manchester. ISSN 1756-3224. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  9. Brus, Mark (27 April 2022). ""Fantastic" decision to give advantage for Man City goal against Real Madrid, says Mark Halsey". CaughtOffside. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  10. "Istvan Kovacs appointed referee for Conference League final between Roma and Feyenoord". RomaPress. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  11. "List of appointed FIFA Match Officials" (PDF). FIFA Digital Assets Hub. FIFA. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  12. "De ce Istvan Kovacs nu a arbitrat la CM 2022 și a fost de 8 ori rezervă: "I-au zis să stea pe margine pentru că e prea bun"" [Why Istvan Kovacs did not referee at World Cup 2022 and was a reserve 8 times: "They told him to stay on the sidelines because he is too good"]. Digi Sport (in Romanian). 16 December 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  13. Salem, Amr (18 January 2023). "Iraq, Oman get ready for 25th Gulf Cup final". Iraqi News. Baghdad. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  14. Reidy, Paul (21 January 2023). "Referees named ahead of FIFA Club World Cup". Diario AS. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  15. Osornio, Alan (7 February 2023). "Flamengo y Al Hilal protagonizan un polémico cierre de primer tiempo: ¡VAR, penalti y expulsión!" [Flamengo and Al Hilal star in a controversial closing of the first half: VAR, penalty and sending off!]. Marca Claro México (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  16. "Referee teams appointed for 2023 UEFA club competition finals". UEFA. 22 May 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  17. "An interview with elite FIFA referee István Kovács". Hungarian Football. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  18. Somogyi, Zsolt (13 January 2020). "Kovács István: Semmiféle hátrányom nem származott a származásomból" [István Kovács: I had no disadvantages because of my origin]. Nemzeti Sport (in Hungarian). Retrieved 25 February 2023. Anyai ágon sváb a családunk, apai ágon magyar, így kétezertizenegyben kettős állampolgár lettem, és erre nagyon büszke vagyok. [My family is Swabian on my mother's side and Hungarian on my father's side, so I became a dual citizen in 2011, and I'm very proud of that.]
  19. Nazare, Daniel; Toma, Răzvan (22 December 2020). "Szabolcs, fratele lui Istvan Kovacs, a debutat ca arbitru de centru în Liga 1. Au mai existat astfel de cazuri în fotbalul românesc?" [Szabolcs, Istvan Kovacs' brother, made his debut as a central referee in Liga 1. Have there been such cases in Romanian football?]. Prosport (in Romanian). Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  20. "Istvan Kovacs, Cetățean de Onoare al Careiului" [Istvan Kovacs, Honorary Citizen of Carei]. Romanian Football Federation (in Romanian). 26 January 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.


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