Romanian football referee Istvan Kovacs to officiate FIFA Club World Cup matches in Morocco

Istvan Kovacs, a Romanian football referee, has been appointed by FIFA to officiate matches of the Club World Cup in Morocco between February 1 and 11, 2023. The Carei native will be accompanied by fellow Romanians Vasile Marinescu and Mihai Artene as assistants.

This month, the three Romanian referees are currently in Iraq to officiate the 25th edition of the Arabian Gulf Cup, where reigning champion Bahrain is looking to defend its title in the host city of Basra.

Istvan Kovacs was previously tasked to be the fourth official at the opening clash of the FIFA World Cup on November 20 between host country Qatar and Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium and led the first UEFA Conference League final between AS Roma and Feyenoord in the summer of 2022.

The roster of 26 match officials includes main referees Anthony Taylor (England), Ning Ma (China), Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria), Ivan Barton (Salvador), and Andres Matias Matonte Cabrera (Uruguay). All game officials will attend a training seminar in Rabat, starting on January 27.

Each footballing confederation will delegate the winner of their respective international competitions. European UEFA will be represented by Champions League winner Real Madrid, playing against the likes of Wydad AC (host country), Al-Ahli (Asia), Seattle Sounders (North and Central America), Flamengo (South America), Auckland City FC (Oceania), and Al Ahly (Africa).

(Photo source: Frf.ro/UEFA)