Knut Kircher sees a positive opening to the Bundesliga season for Germany’s referees, but the DFB’s refereeing chief is keeping a close watch on the work still ahead.
Key takeaways
- The Video Assist Centre is scheduled to move from Cologne to the DFB Campus in Frankfurt next summer.
- Kircher points to the higher threshold for VAR interventions as one constructive early-season development.
- The refereeing department has hired its own match analyst.
- Net playing time has increased.
- Felix Zwayer, Daniel Siebert and Sven Jablonski are competing for Germany’s European Championship places.
- A serious VAR mistake from Matchday 1 had not previously been noticed by observers.
Frankfurt move and VAR review
Construction work is under way at the DFB Campus during the international break. From his office, Kircher can see preparations for the new Video Assist Centre, which is expected to leave its long-standing Cologne base next summer.
The 57-year-old manages DFB Schiri GmbH and believes the operational issues around refereeing have become smaller than they were. He nevertheless places weight on an open culture around mistakes, including errors made through the video system.
That approach is relevant after a major VAR error on the first Bundesliga matchday. The incident had escaped the attention of external observers before it was identified internally.
Staff, match flow and the leading referees
The DFB has added a dedicated match analyst for referees, strengthening its work on reviewing performances and decisions.
Kircher also highlighted the rise in net playing time. The adjusted standard for VAR involvement has contributed to a season start in which officials have allowed more decisions to stand unless there is a clear reason for intervention.
At the top level, Zwayer, Siebert and Jablonski are in a three-way contest for selection ahead of the European Championship. Deniz Aytekin has also taken on a new role within German refereeing.
