UEFA Appoints Bulgarian Georgi Kabakov to Officiate Spain vs. Egypt Match

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has announced the appointment of Bulgarian referee Georgi Kabakov to officiate the highly anticipated match between the national teams of Spain and Egypt. The game is scheduled for next Monday at the RCD Espanyol Stadium in Barcelona, Spain. This assignment marks a significant milestone in the Bulgarian referee's career, as it will be the first time he has taken charge of a match involving the Spanish senior national team.

Kabakov has a prior record with Spanish youth national teams. He officiated the Spain U21 team's semi-final clash against France in the 2019 European Championship, a match that Spain won 4-1. Furthermore, the Bulgarian referee previously oversaw two matches for the Spain U19 team under coach Luis de la Fuente, which suggests he has prior familiarity with some of the players currently in the senior squad.

Kabakov's major continental debut also took place on Spanish soil, as he made his UEFA Champions League debut during a match between Valencia and Manchester United in December 2018, which the Spanish side won 2-1. Notably, the current Spanish national team squad includes players who have previously scored under Kabakov's whistle in youth tournaments, such as Mikel Oyarzabal, Dani Olmo, and Fornals, all of whom participated in that historic match against the French national team.

This international appointment comes at a time when the Bulgarian referee has faced challenges in his domestic competitions. The Bulgarian Football Union decided to suspend him indefinitely last October following unsatisfactory evaluations of his performance using VAR technology during a Bulgarian league match. This decision places his upcoming international appearance in Spain under strict technical scrutiny.