Ivan Kruzliak, a referee previously criticized by former Celtic player Virgil van Dijk as the ‘worst ever’, is set to officiate the critical Europa League Round of 16 game between Rangers and Benfica at Ibrox, with the series locked at 2-2.
The 39-year-old Slovakian’s assignment to Thursday’s match marks his first officiating venture in Scotland, yet his prior engagements in matches featuring Celtic have stirred controversy. Notably, in 2015, after a contentious 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan which saw Celtic exit the competition with a 4-3 aggregate loss, Celtic formally complained to UEFA about Kruzliak’s refereeing. The match was notorious for Van Dijk’s ejection due to a second yellow card, which he received after a mere 36 minutes for a tackle on Mauro Icardi. At the time, Van Dijk, now with Liverpool, condemned Kruzliak’s officiating as the most deficient he had encountered, questioning the rationale behind his decisions.
Kruzliak’s decisions were under the spotlight again last year during a Celtic match, this time for sending off Daizen Maeda with a red card after a VAR review, overturning an initial yellow during a 6-0 Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid in November 2023. The decision, made after Maeda’s late challenge on Mario Hermoso, was deemed overly harsh by former Celtic star John Hartson, who argued against the red card on TNT Sports.
Since starting his career in senior refereeing in 2009, Kruzliak has maintained an average of just under five yellow cards per match and has issued 108 red cards, evidencing a strict enforcement record.
