Sandor Puhl was born in Miskolc on 14 July 1955. He passed his referee exam aged 15 and gradually worked his way up through the youth and men’s leagues, before making his debut as an assistant referee in the first division on 20 April 1983 in the Nyiregyhaza - Csepel match. He went on to make his debut as a referee in the first division on 16 September 1984 in the match between Vasas - Csepel. He refereed 226 matches in the first division, also making 117 appearances as an assistant referee and 1 as fourth official. His final match as a first division referee was on 22 July 2000 in a match between Ferencvaros - Haladas. He awarded 666 yellow cards and 28 red cards during his career.
Internationally, Puhl became a FIFA referee in 1988 and worked his way up to become an elite referee. His international debut came in a friendly match in November 1988 between the then Czechoslovakia and Norway. Puhl attended the 1991 FIFA U-21 World Cup, refereeing a group stage match between England and Uruguay and the semi-final between Portugal and Australia. He went on to referee in the Champions League for 6 seasons (1992-1998), although he continued to referee UEFA matches until 2000. Puhl refereed at two Euros, in 1992 and 1996, and the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where he became the first and only Hungarian to referee a World Cup final. His International retirement came in a friendly match between Italy and England on 15 November 2000, almost 12 years to the day of his debut. Most people will remember Sandor Puhl for the 1994 FIFA World Cup Final match Brazil - Italy. He followed that up 3 years later when he refereed the UEFA Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and Juventus in 1997. He was voted by IFFHS as the world’s best referee four times in a row: 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997.
An honorary citizen of the cities of Eger and Emod, Sandor Puhl remained within refereeing after his retirement. Between 2000 and 2006, he was appointed by the MLSZ as the chairman of the Referees Committee and the Refereeing Board, which operates as an independent advocacy organisation. During this time, Puhl was also the vice-president of the MLSZ. Internationally, he was also on the FIFA Referees Committee and acted as UEFA Referee Observer. From 2010 he was a vice-president of the MLSZ JB (the Hungarian Football Federation Referee Department), a role he held until his death. Puhl also worked for Sports TV giving an insight into refereeing although he had not been seen on screen for a few months since his hospitalisation with coronavirus. The Hungarian Football Federation shares silent grief with his family that asks the mourners and members of the press to respect their request for privacy at this sad time: they do not wish to comment, and they will arrange a quiet funeral later. Hungarian football, especially the refereeing community, shares their grief.
Over the coming days many will talk of their own memories of Sandor Puhl. Funny moments from matches and dressing rooms, happy memories, moments of solidarity and lessons learned along their own career paths. The coin story from the World Cup has already appeared in the media and I remember Sandor Puhl talking about it in an interview. As the coin was made of silver and very heavy, he had given it to his fourth official to hold it during the game rather than keep it in his pocket. The fourth official then left it in the dressing room at half time, so when it came to the coin toss for extra time there was no coin. Quick thinking by Sandor Puhl saw him discreetly borrow a coin from a nearby TV cameraman – a coin he subsequently held onto amongst his memorabilia collected over the years.
One of the best quotes I have seen by Sandor Puhl is “The referee’s mission, his vocation, is to use the power vested in him to help those outside the playing field have the best fun possible.” A perfect summation. During an interview with NSO on the 20th anniversary of the World Cup Final, Puhl was asked what makes a good referee and he replied “The referee’s mission is to keep the viewer as entertained as possible. It is very important for the referee to be aware of this kind of mission consciousness. With each judgment, the referee gives something to one team and takes it away from the other. You cannot favour both teams at the same time, you have to be aware of that. For a referee, what is uplifting is when he feels he is been able to make a match better with his judgments. The difficulty of the profession, and at the same time the biggest challenge, is to lead prominent individuals along uniform aspects, while leaving the possibility for the individuals to assert themselves. There is a certain degree of desire in the referees, but only the referee who can control his own individuality can give up his ego when it is needed.”
I saw Sandor Puhl referee live 3 times. The first time was at Windsor Park on the 18 November 1992. My home nation team lost 1-0 to Denmark but as I left the ground that day, Sandor Puhl had a new fan. I saw him again at Wembley 3 years later, 15 November 1995 when he refereed a friendly between England and Switzerland. I worked at Wembley at the time and was on the security team detailed to the referee team. I had the chance to speak with him, a brief chat about refereeing and the difference between refereeing in a smaller nation like Hungary and a bigger nation like England. As I escorted him out of the ground post match, he gave me a signed copy of the match day programme. He was back at Wembley in June 1996, refereeing the Euro 1996 semi-final game between Germany and England. He remembered me from the year before and post match another signed match programme found itself my way. I had been due to work at Wembley for his next appearance there on 12 February 1997 in the England - Italy match; however a nasty accident a month earlier saw me still in hospital at the time. The day after the game one of my colleagues arrived at the hospital and gave me a match day programme signed by Mr. Puhl with a message of get well soon wishes. I never got to meet him again. Rest in peace, Sandor Puhl. Thank you for 50 years of service to refereeing. (Source: Hungarian Football)
UEFA Referees Committee chairman and former Italian international referee Roberto Rosetti paid a special tribute. “Sandor Puhl was my idol and my great friend,” he said. “He was a referee of immense talent, whose skills in handling players on the field and calm response to the pressures of refereeing major football occasions deservedly brought him recognition and renown at the highest levels of the European and world game. I have so much to thank Sandor for in my own career as a referee,” added Rosetti, who took charge of the UEFA Euro 2008 final between Germany and Spain in Vienna. “His constant advice and encouragement was invaluable in helping me to make progress, and it was always a great privilege to share his company. I am deeply saddened by his passing, and offer my sincere condolences to his family.” (Source: UEFA)