There will be a new face in the Bundesliga on Saturday: Dr. Max Burda is refereeing a game in the German upper house for the first time.
How is it selling in the Bundesliga? Max Burda. IMAGO/Student
This Saturday (3:30 p.m., LIVE! on kicker) Dr. Max Burda is taking a big step in his refereeing career. The DFB nominated the 35-year-old Berliner for the game between VfL Bochum and VfL Wolfsburg – Burda is celebrating his premiere in the Bundesliga.
The lawyer is actually part of the referee squad for the 2nd Bundesliga this season. But Knut Kircher, head of referees at the DFB, explains: “Our job is to introduce talented referees to the highest leagues. Max Burda has earned the trust of the sporting management with his good performances in the past few months and has earned this playing assignment in the Bundesliga absolutely deserved.”
Burda has led four second division games so far this season, including the opening game between 1. FC Köln and Hamburger SV (kicker grade 3). Most recently he impressed in the goalless draw between Jahn Regensburg and 1. FC Kaiserslautern (kicker-Note 2). At 2.75, his average grade is just below that of last season, when he achieved a 2.6 in ten second division appearances. He has already been used this season in the DFB Cup (Dortmund’s 4-1 win in Lübeck) and the 3rd league (Dresden’s 3-0 win in Verl).
“I’m really looking forward to the game”
In 2019/20, Burda refereed its first games in the 3rd league, and from 2021/22 the 2nd league was added. In total he has played 30 second division, 46 third division and three DFB Cup games.
It won’t be an easy task for him to make his Bundesliga debut in Bochum. The still winless host is in crisis, Wolfsburg are 13th in the table. also only three points more in the account. And: Coach Ralph Hasenhüttl’s team is at the bottom of the fair play table with 25 yellow cards and one red card.
“I’m really looking forward to the game on Saturday and was very happy about the appointment and the appreciation that came with it,” says Burda. “As a team, we want to build on the past few weeks, deliver a good performance and show that we can lead Bundesliga games.” His team on Saturday includes the linesmen Christian Dietz and Eric Müller, the fourth official Richard Hempel and the video assistants Dr. Matthias Jöllenbeck and Frederick Assmuth.
