After returning from the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where he was a reserve referee eight times, Istvan Kovac is taking part in another important tournament, this time in Iraq.

Istvan Kovacs will referee the Gulf Nations Cup

From January 6 to 19, Kovacs, along with assistants Ovidiu Artene and Vasile Marinescu, is participating in the 25th Gulf Cup of Nations, which is being held in Iraq, FRF reports.

The competition consists of two groups: Iraq, Oman, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, respectively Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The Romanian team will lead the opening match between Iraq and Oman, which will take place on Friday.

István Kovacs’ presence at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar

The three were also present at the World Cup in Qatar, with Kovac playing 8 matches as a reserve referee.

The prize for participation in the World Cup in Qatar was 70,000 euros, and for each match to which he was delegated in the group stage, István Kovacs received 2,500 euros. At the 1/8 final match, the amount increased to 5,000 euros.

In total, the referee from Romania collected 92,500 euros for participating in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.