The German Football Association (DFB) has named Hussein and Brych as Referees of the Year 2021. The award ceremony took place during the summer training camp of the elite referees in Grassau am Chiemsee. "With Dr. Riem Hussein and Dr. Felix Brych, the award deservedly goes to two referees who have represented German refereeing very well also internationally in the past year", says Ronny Zimmermann, Vice President for youth football and refereeing. "This year, Dr. Felix Brych set another record with five successful games at the European championship and thus crowns his achievements on the international stage. For Hussein it is the fourth award as Referee of the Year after 2013, 2016 and 2020. Dr. Felix Brych, who will end his international career at the end of the year, will be honored as Referee of the Year for the fifth time after 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018. "Dr. Brych's decision to end his international career deserves the greatest respect, even if we lose an outstanding ambassador for German refereeing," said Zimmermann.
As FIFA referee, Hussein directed the final of the women's UEFA Champions League final this year. Before that, she was a referee at major international tournaments, such as the 2017 European Women's Championship in the Netherlands and the 2019 Women's World Cup in France. Since 2006, the woman from Bad Harzburg has led a total of 111 matches in the Women's Bundesliga. Award winner Hussein says: "The Referee of the Year award is the culmination of my last season for me. It started for me with a serious injury and ended with one of the most important games of my career. Without the support of my family, my friends, of the DFB and UEFA this award would have been impossible. I would like to dedicate the award to these people because they have always believed that I can return to the field even stronger. This award is the greatest motivation for me in the years to come to keep working on my goals and dreams." Christine Baitinger, responsible for the women referees in the DFB referees committee, says: "Riem has shown top performances both nationally and internationally for years! Another highlight of her impressive career was certainly the nomination as referee for the 2021 Champions League final for women. In this game, too, she and her team showed a great performance and thus presented the German refereeing in an excellent way. Off the pitch, Riem is always committed to the concerns of the referees and is a great role model for our young colleagues. The repeated award as referee of the year Riem has more than earned himself!"
Felix Brych is the third referee in the history of the Bundesliga who reached 300 games in the past season. Internationally, the 45-year-old can look back on appearances at two World Cups in 2014 and 2018, two European championships in 2016 and 2020, the Europa League and Champions League finals in 2014 and 2017, as well as participation in the 2012 Olympic Games. After 2015, he was also entrusted with the DFB Cup final in Berlin for the second time this year. Award winner Brych explains: "The award means a lot to me; it is the confirmation of an exceptionally good season for me, probably the best season of my entire career. Before the start of a season, the goal is always to get something out of it. This year the yield was very large and significantly greater than expected with success at national and international level. I would also like to mention that I have refereed a total of three European semi-finals. I am happy about the fifth Referee of the Year trophy and will keep it in a special place." Lutz Michael Fröhlich, sporting director of the elite referees, says: "Felix had a great and extremely successful season: confident and secure in the Bundesliga, a strong cup final in Berlin and a convincing international season that resulted in a nomination for the Euro. There he made a valuable contribution to the success of this tournament with five sovereign performances - a referee who is always fully focused on his role and tasks in the game and who clearly attaches great importance to what is necessary in the game, deserving great recognition for his national and international achievements in the 2020/2021 season."
Source: DFB