German referee, Marco Fritz has gotten praises all over the world after he saved the life of Nigeria promising footballer during a German Bundesliga game on Sunday 14th June.
Fritz saved the life of Nigerian footballer, Taiwo Awoniyi, in the German Bundesliga encounter between hosts FSV Mainz and Augsburg, which the visitors won 1-0.
Mainz striker Taiwo Awoniyi had a head collision with Nigerian born defender Felix Uduokhai and went unconscious and it was visibly down to Referee Fritz to act, he quickly kept Awoniyi warm and kept him in the recovery position, while directing other frightened players away from the distressed scene. The player was reportedly cleared after the accident, in a stable condition according to Mainz.
Here are facts you need to know about Marco Fritz:
1. Marco Fritz was born on 3rd October 1977.
2. He is a German football referee who is based in Korb. He referees for SV Breuningsweiler of the Württemberg Football Association.
3. He is a FIFA referee, and is ranked as a UEFA second category referee.
4. At age six Fritz became a member of SV Breuningsweiler, for whom he has been a referee for since 1997. He officiated in the Landesverband Württemberg, and in 2006 he became a DFB referee.
5. He first officiated in the 2. Bundesliga in the 2008/09 season. Throughout the season he awarded 34 yellow cards and one red card.
6. Fritz was then promoted to officiate in the Bundesliga the following season. His first Bundeslgia match was between SC Freiburg and Bayer Leverkusen.
7. In 2012 Fritz was put on the FIFA referees list along with Felix Zwayer. His first international tournament was the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship elite qualification. His international officiating debut was on 23 May 2012 in the match between Greece and Turkey. Together with his assistants Dominik Schaal and Marcel Pelgrim, Fritz was chosen as the referee for the 2016 DFB-Pokal Final, which took place on 21 May 2016 in the Olympiastadion in Berlin between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
Fritz is a banker and lives in Korb. His hobbies include sports and music.
