 Kovács in 2020 | |||
| Born | (1984-09-16)16 September 1984 (age 41) Carei, Romania | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Other occupation | Physical education teacher | ||
| Domestic | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 2007– | Liga I | Referee | |
| International | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 2010– | FIFA listed | Referee | |
| 2019– | UEFA Elite | Referee | |
| 2021– | FIFA listed | Video match official | |
István Kovács (born 16 September 1984) is a Romanianfootballreferee who primarily officiates in theLiga I. He has been a full international forFIFA since 2018, and aUEFA elite referee since 2019.[1][2][3][4]
Kovács was one of two Romanian referees selected to officiate inUEFA Euro 2020, the other beingOvidiu Hațegan. He was in charge of one group stage game, the Group D fixture between theNetherlands andNorth Macedonia on 21 June 2021 in Amsterdam, which ended in a 3–0 victory for the Dutch.[5][6]
On 26 April 2022 he refereed the first leg of theUEFA Champions League semi-final betweenManchester City andReal Madrid inManchester, which City won 4–3. Because of the good performance, Kovács was praised by the media, especially for the advantage he allowed in the build-up toBernardo Silva's goal. As a reward for his good performance, the UEFA Referees Committee chose him to officiate the2022 UEFA Europa Conference League final betweenA.S. Roma andFeyenoord, the first ever final of the competition. Roma won the final in Albania 1–0 and became the first title holders of theUEFA Europa Conference League.[7][8][9][10]
The same year, Kovács was selected for the2022 FIFA World Cup, along with his compatriot assistant referees Vasile Marinescu and Mihai Artene. He wasn't ultimately picked as overall referee for any match, but he was the fourth official in eight fixtures.[11][12]
On 19 January 2023 he refereed the final of the25th Arabian Gulf Cup betweenIraq andOman. That same month, he was one of six match officials appointed for the2022 FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco. On 7 February he oversaw the semi-final between Brazilian sideFlamengo and Saudi Arabian sideAl Hilal, which Al Hilal won 3–2.[13][14][15]
In June 2023, Kovács was appointed as the fourth official for theUEFA Champions League final between Manchester City andInter Milan, which City won 1–0.[16]
In May 2024, he was selected by UEFA to referee theUEFA Europa League Final betweenAtalanta andBayer Leverkusen, on 22 May in theAviva Stadium in Dublin. Atalanta won the match 3–0, breaking Leverkusen's record-break winning streak.[17]As expected, he was picked forUEFA Euro 2024, where he officiated two group stage fixtures–Slovenia vs. Serbia on 20 June, and Czech Republic vs. Turkey on 26 June. In the latter game, Kovács broke the European Championship record for the most cautions between both teams in a single match, handing out sixteen yellow cards and two reds. By sending off Czech midfielderAntonín Barák for a second bookable offence only 20 minutes into the match, he also broke the record for the fastest red card in the history of the European Championship. Czech strikerTomáš Chorý was shown a direct red card during a melée between the two teams after the end of the match.[18]
In May 2025, Kovács was the referee in the2025 UEFA Champions League final betweenParis Saint-Germain andInter Milan.[19]
Kovács is of Hungarian descent through his father and is also German through his maternal side. He holds Romanian and Hungarian passports. His younger brother, Szabolcs, is also a referee in the RomanianLiga I.[20][21] Kovács is in a relationship with model Denisa Fazakas. Together, they have a son who was born around July 2024.[22][23]
He was born inCarei,Satu Mare County, and currently resides inCluj-Napoca. In recognition of his refereeing career, he became an honorary citizen of Carei in 2023.[24]
Anyai ágon sváb a családunk, apai ágon magyar, így kétezertizenegyben kettős állampolgár lettem, és erre nagyon büszke vagyok.[My family is Swabian on my mother's side and Hungarian on my father's side, so I became a dual citizen in 2011, and I'm very proud of that.]
| Sporting positions
| ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | UEFA Champions League Final Referee 2025 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | UEFA Europa League Final Referee 2024 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by No previous competition | UEFA Europa Conference League Final Referee 2022 | Succeeded by |
