The East Brandenburg football district confirmed this sad news on Saturday morning. Kirschen refereed 251 games in the GDR Oberliga and even two Bundesliga games towards the end of his career. In the 1990/91 season he refereed the northern derby St. Pauli against HSV and the southern derby VfB Stuttgart against Bayern Munich.
Kirschen also served as a FIFA referee in 43 European Cup games, including the 1987 UEFA Cup final. He also officiated 24 international matches and was a referee at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and 1990 in Italy. “When I went to Italy, there were still the GDR marks. When I came back after four weeks, we had Westgeld,” said Kirschen, remembering the turbulent times of the transition.
“True legend”: Ex-World Cup referee Kirschen is dead
After his active career, Kirschen remained loyal to football and shaped it for 28 years as president of the Brandenburg State Football Association. He was also a referee coach in the Bundesliga and an international referee observer.
“His tireless commitment and his passion for football have made him a true legend,” said the Ostbrandenburg football district in honor of Siegfried Kirschen’s life’s work.
