Hajduk's Poljud Referee Is a Doctor with a Big Heart
Referee Matthias Jöllenbeck is associated with one of the most heartwarming stories in German football. In April 2022, he stopped play so a Muslim player could break his fast.
Referee Matthias Jöllenbeck is associated with one of the most heartwarming stories in German football. In April 2022, he stopped play so a Muslim player could break his fast.
UEFA has announced the officials for the return leg of the third qualifying round of the Conference League between Hajduk and Žalgiris, which will be played on Thursday at Poljud. The main referee will be 39-year-old German Matthias Jöllenbeck, whose name in the football world does not evoke controversy but rather an exceptional act of humanity.
Jöllenbeck, who is a specialist in orthopedics by profession, has been refereeing Bundesliga matches since 2020 and has held the FIFA badge since last year. His assistants will be Dominik Schaal and Jonas Weickenmeier, with Tobias Reichel as the fourth official, while Katrin Rafalski and AVAR Robert Hartmann will be in the VAR room.
Jöllenbeck became widely known in April 2022 during a Bundesliga match between Augsburg and Mainz. In the 65th minute, he briefly halted play so that Moussa Niakhaté, then Mainz's captain, could drink water after sunset and thus break his Ramadan fast.
Niakhaté revealed the background of the incident after the match. At halftime, he approached the referee and asked if there was a possibility for a short break between the 60th and 70th minutes. "I know he didn't have to do it, and if he had refused, I would have understood," Niakhaté said.
"Moussa asked me if he could drink water after sunset, between the 60th and 70th minutes. Of course, I said he could. I signaled to him when the time came, waited for him to drink the water and thus end his fast for that day," Jöllenbeck explained.
His gesture drew widespread positive reactions and remains remembered as one of the first such instances in the Bundesliga.
Jöllenbeck now arrives at Poljud, where Hajduk will defend a commanding 5:2 lead from the first leg played in Vilnius against Lithuanian side Žalgiris. The Split club is in an excellent position ahead of the return match that will decide progression to the next round of the competition.
