Alexis Ponnet

Alexis Ponnet
Born (1939-03-09) 9 March 1939 (age 85)
Brussels, Belgium
Domestic
Years League Role
1972–1989 Belgian First Division Referee
International
Years League Role
1975–1989 FIFA-listed Referee

Alexis Ponnet (born 9 March 1939 in Brussels) is a former Belgian football referee. Ponnet is best known for supervising two matches in the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain and one in the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. He also refereed the European Cup final in 1987 between Porto and Bayern Munich. He also refereed two UEFA European Football Championship in 1984 and 1988.

In February 1983, Ponnet was rendered unconscious and hospitalized overnight after Saudi Arabian player Jamal Farhan punched him in the head during the World Military Cup between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Ponnet had given him a red card minutes earlier. Farhan was subsequently banned from international games for life by FIFA.[1][2]

  1. ^ "Internationally renowned Belgian soccer referee Alexis Ponnet was knocked..." United Press International. 28 February 1983. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  2. ^ Nour, Waleed (4 September 2011). "Rampant bad refereeing: When will FIFA wake up?". Sportskeeda. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020.