Courtesy: UEFA
Sándor Puhl was elected four times as the world’s best referee, refereed a World Cup and a Champions League final, has died at the age of 65.
The first final he oversaw was the UEFA Cup final between German Borussia Dortmund and Italian Juventus in 1993. (1-3). He was also the referee of the Brazil-Italy soccer World Cup final in 1994 in the United States without any major fault. Reportedly, he lost some 4.5 kilograms during the final, which ended with Brazil’s victory on penalties.
Puhl became a FIFA referee in 1988 and officiated in a number of high-profile matches throughout the 1990s, including the UEFA Cup final in 1993 and the Dortmund-Juventus Champions League final in 1997.
He oversaw the England-Germany semifinal at the European Championships in 1996, and despite England’s defeat, English star Paul Gascoigne reportedly gave him his jersey as a sign of respect. Following his retirement, he held various positions in the Hungarian Football Association (MLSZ), most notably as the MLSZ’s Deputy Chairman from 2000 to 2006. He had served as vice-chairman of the MLSZ Referees Committee since 2010.
He was a regular pundit on the Hungarian sports TV channel until a few months before his death. Despite the fact that he had recently been infected with the coronavirus, which resulted in hospitalization, no information on the cause of his death has been released.
Former Hungarian referee Sándor Puhl has passed away, aged 65.
During a distinguished career, he officiated the 1994 World Cup and 1997 Champions League finals.
— UEFA (@UEFA) May 20, 2021