Referee Shake-up: Bulgarian Official Kabakov to Officiate Egypt vs Spain Friendly

Georgi Kabakov, the Bulgarian referee currently suspended in his homeland, has been tasked with stewarding the international friendly between Egypt and Spain two days from now, on Tuesday.

The two national teams will meet at Espanyol's stadium as part of their World Cup 2026 preparations.

Spanish newspaper Marca reported on Sunday that Kabakov is regarded as Bulgaria's best referee, though he faced an indefinite ban this season from the Bulgarian Football Union for an unsatisfactory performance as a VAR official during the Slavia Sofia vs Lokomotiv Sofia match (2-0) in the 11th round.

Kabakov previously oversaw the Al Hilal vs Al Shabab Riyadh derby in the seventh round of this season's Roshen Saudi Pro League, a match won by Al Hilal 1-0 on Marcus Leonardo's goal.

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This will be the first time Kabakov oversees a Spain senior team match.

Nevertheless, Kabakov is not unfamiliar to Spain's coach Louis de la Fuente, or to some players he has coached, having previously officiated the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship semi-final in Italy, where Spain beat France 4-1. Mikel Oyarzabal scored from a penalty, Dani Olmo and Pablo Fornals added two more, and Marc Roca completed the scoreline.

Egypt's team had a big 4-0 win over their Saudi counterparts last Friday, while Spain defeated Serbia 3-0 on the same day.

Punchline 1: If Kabakov’s whistle had a resume, it would read like a thriller—plot twists courtesy of VAR, and still somehow the crowd stays awake.

Punchline 2: In football as in comedy, timing is everything—here, Kabakov proves the balance sheet can swing from calm to chaos with a single blow on the whistle.