Romanian Referee With Controversial Past to Officiate Israel-Kosovo Match

The Israeli national football team will host Kosovo in a UEFA Nations League match on Tuesday, seeking to rebound from a disappointing loss to Ireland. The game, scheduled for 9:45 PM in Debrecen, Hungary, will be officiated by Romanian referee Radu Petrescu, whose past includes a significant controversy.

Petrescu has previously officiated three matches involving Israeli clubs in European competitions: two for Maccabi Tel Aviv and one for Hapoel Be'er Sheva. His assignments included Maccabi Tel Aviv's Europa Conference League qualifier against Paphos in the summer of 2025, a memorable match where three different goalkeepers played due to injuries and a red card. He also refereed Maccabi Tel Aviv's 2-2 draw with Radnički Niš in the 2018/19 season and Hapoel Be'er Sheva's 4-2 loss to Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League, where Elton Acolatse scored twice. Additionally, he officiated the Israeli U-21 team's 3-2 defeat against Germany in Euro qualifiers.

Last season, Petrescu was involved in a major scandal in Romania, dubbed a "huge scandal" by local media. He was initially suspended for 12 games after stopping a match without apparent reason. During a game between Argeș and Petrolul, Petrescu blew his whistle and awarded possession to the opposing team just as Argeș was about to score the winning goal. His suspension was later reduced to 10 games.

Adding to the controversy, Israel's opponent, Kosovo, is not recognized as an independent country by Romania, Petrescu's home nation. This fact has reportedly angered Israeli officials.