Romanian Referee Radu Petrescu Under Scrutiny Ahead of Kosovo Match
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Referee Radu Petrescu faces scrutiny for a past officiating scandal.
- He was suspended for 12 games for stopping a match without reason.
- Petrescu has previously officiated matches involving Israeli teams.
- Romania's non-recognition of Kosovo adds political tension.
- Israel seeks points after a loss to Ireland.
Romanian referee Radu Petrescu, set to officiate the upcoming UEFA Nations League match between Israel and Kosovo in Debrecen, Hungary, has faced significant criticism in his home country due to a past officiating error. Petrescu was suspended for 12 games, later reduced to 10, after stopping a match between Argus and Petrolul without apparent reason, preventing Argus from potentially scoring a winning goal. This incident led to widespread condemnation in Romania, with local media dubbing it a "huge scandal."
Petrescu has a history of officiating matches involving Israeli teams. He previously refereed two matches for Maccabi Tel Aviv in European competitions: a 2025 Europa Conference League qualifier against Pafos, notable for its unusual goalkeeper situation, and a 2018/19 Europa League match that ended in a 2-2 draw against Radnički Niš. He also officiated a 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier where Israel lost 3-2 to Germany, and a Europa League match where Hapoel Be'er Sheva lost 4-2 to Bayer Leverkusen.
Adding a layer of political sensitivity to the upcoming game, Romania does not officially recognize Kosovo as an independent state. This fact has reportedly angered Kosovo, Israel's opponent in the match. The Israeli national team is seeking to improve its standing in the current Nations League campaign after a disappointing performance against Ireland.
Read the original at MakoMentioned
