Bulgarian Referee With VAR Scandal History to Officiate Israel-Austria Match

Bulgarian international referee Georgi Kabakov will officiate the upcoming UEFA Nations League match between Israel and Austria in Linz on Thursday. Kabakov, who has been a FIFA referee since 2013, has previously officiated three matches involving Israeli clubs: Maccabi Haifa's 2-1 win over Panathinaikos, Beitar Jerusalem's 1-1 draw with Jelgava, and Maccabi Tel Aviv's 3-0 loss to Midtjylland last season. In two of these games, he issued a total of eight yellow cards to players from the Israeli teams.

Kabakov was involved in a significant VAR controversy in Bulgaria at the start of last season. While acting as a VAR official, he and his video assistant referee colleagues approved a goal in a match between Slavia Sofia and Lokomotiv Sofia, despite a clear handball in the build-up that they overlooked. This incident led to Kabakov's suspension until further notice, marking the first time the Bulgarian Referees Association had suspended a referee in such a manner. The association stated at the time that Kabakov and Vladimir Valkov were suspended for "unsatisfactory refereeing ability and overlooking an illegal goal approved by them."