Renowned Hungarian Football Referee Passes Away

Hungarian Sándor Puhl, voted four times as the world's best referee, has died at the age of 65, the Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ) has reported.

Born in 1955 in the northeastern Hungarian city of Miskolc, obtained his license in 1970, at the age of 15, and since 1982, he has officiated hundreds of matches in the country's various leagues.

His international career began in 1988 and between 1994 and 1997 he was elected four consecutive times as the best referee in the world by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).

The Hungarian referee officiated several legendary matches, such as the 1994 U.S. World Cup final between Brazil and Italy, as well as the 1997 Borussia Dortmund-Juventus Champions League final.

Sándor Puhl, retired since 2000, was vice-chairman of the MLSZ Referees Committee since 2010 and worked as a commentator for several Hungarian TV channels.