Bulgarian Referee Involved in VAR Scandal 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: a 2-1 win for Maccabi Haifa against Panathinaikos, a 1-1 draw for Beitar Jerusalem against Jelgava, and a 3-0 loss for Maccabi Tel Aviv against Midtjylland last season. In two of these games, he issued a total of eight yellow cards to players from Beitar Jerusalem and Maccabi Haifa.

Kabakov was suspended for an unspecified period at the start of last season following a VAR controversy in Bulgaria. He and his fellow video assistant referees approved a goal in a match between Slavia Sofia and Lokomotiv Sofia, despite clear evidence of a handball that was overlooked. This incident led to the Bulgarian Football Union suspending Kabakov and Vladimir Valkov for "unsatisfactory refereeing performance and ignoring an illegal goal approved by them," marking the first time the union had suspended a referee in such a manner in the Bulgarian league.