Felix Brych

Felix Brych is world referee and 6x German referee of the year. In his lectures, he talks about digitalization in professional soccer and the courage to make decisions.

Felix Brych was an active referee. He officiated his last Bundesliga match on 17 May 2025 in Augsburg in the match between FC Ausgburg and Union Berlin. Felix Brych refereed matches in the Bundesliga and the Champions League. He has taken part in all major international football tournaments.

He reports from a live perspective, particularly against the backdrop of the introduction of VAR and the transition of football into the digital age. In this context, Felix Brych also addresses psychological aspects in the preparation of decisions and the entire match management. His understanding of business allows him to translate his own experiences from the fast-paced everyday life of football for companies and create analogies.

Lecture topics by Felix Brych

Digitalization in soccer

Felix Brych was there when VAR was introduced in soccer, but he also accompanied the test phase. How did this process work? What changes in soccer does video evidence bring and what does this mean for the players?

Decisions under pressure

Decisions are made in a split second. Essential is the preparation of these decisions. Even though most decisions are intuitive and subconscious, detailed preparation is possible. Felix Brych has worked with sports psychologists for many years and, based on this work, has developed tools for himself on how to prepare for match management or individual important decisions.

Felix Brych shows how the pressure of professional sports influences his work, how he lives with the decisions and mistakes he makes and still enjoys refereeing matches. So look forward to inspiring lectures that provide an insight into professional sports. In the process, analogies can be drawn with the business world.

Felix Brych has a doctorate in law. He already established himself as a referee during his studies. He has officiated 359 matches in the German Bundesliga, making him the most used referee in Germany. He has also been a FIFA referee since 2007 and referees international matches as well as matches in the Champions League, where he currently holds the record with 66 appearances in this competition. At EURO 2020, he set another record with a total of five matches. In total, Felix Brych has officiated 101 European Cup matches and 57 international matches.

On national and international soil, he makes split-second decisions. Supplements such as video evidence (VAR) are designed to help referees do this and even correct decisions if necessary. But video evidence also comes with its own challenges and difficulties. Felix Brych has been involved from the beginning and reports on the implementation of VAR.

A soccer referee is defined by his mistakes. In his lectures, he reveals how you can learn from mistakes and how mistakes made do not inhibit you from making new decisions again and again.

Feedback:

“We got to know Mr Brych as a very professional and affable person and thank him very much for his open, interesting and also funny insights into his everyday life as a referee. The topic “Decision-making under pressure and dealing with (nonsensical) rules” was very interesting for everyone present and was excellently brought home to us by Mr Brych and the reference to our guests (top managers of the industry) was also very well drawn.”

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