Juri Frischer will take charge of a Premium liiga match as referee again on Sunday, ending a year-long absence from the role in Estonia’s top flight.
The experienced official stepped away from on-field appointments before last season and continued only as a video assistant referee. This year he has already overseen one Esiliiga fixture, Maardu Linnameeskond against FC Elva on 12 March, and has now been appointed to Sunday’s league meeting between Harju Laagri and FCI Levadia.
Frischer’s was sidelined last year after claims in Eesti Ekspress that Estonian Football Association president Aivar Pohlak had interfered in referee appointments. Frischer said he had a heated telephone conversation with Pohlak in July 2024 and was left with the impression that he was viewed unfavourably for major domestic fixtures, particularly matches involving Flora and Levadia. He told Eesti Ekspress he had effectively been made to feel he was on a “blacklist”.
Both refereeing chief Hannes Kaasik and Pohlak rejected these allegations. Frischer, however, no longer received the leading domestic appointments he had been used to and opted to stop refereeing in the Premium liiga, remaining active only in the VAR role.
During that same period, Frischer continued to receive notable UEFA assignments, including as referee for The New Saints against Astana in the Conference League league phase and Luxembourg versus Bulgaria in the Nations League. At the start of last year he also handled the Estonian Super Cup final, a fixture traditionally used as a farewell match for long-serving referees.
Sunday’s Harju-l be Levadia match will be Frischer’s first Premium liiga game as referee since 9 November 2024, when he took charge of Nõmme United against Tartu Tammeka in the final round of the season.
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Source: https://soccernet.ee/artikkel/frischer-naaseb-aastase-pausi-jarel-peakohtunikuna-premium-liigasse
