Matija Gubica has been suspended for three years having been found guilty of violation of the EHF Code of Conduct and the IHF Ethics Code.
The Croatian is one of the highest regarded referee is the last decade together with Boris Milošević. Listed below are some of the events they have been assigned to:
Olympics
2012: Women’s semifinal
IHF Women’s World Championship
2011 in Brazil: Final
IHF Men’s World Championship
2009 in Croatia: Ninth place game
2013 in Spain: Quarterfinal
2015 in Qatar: Round of 16
2019 in Denmark: Semifinal and Final
2021 in Egypt: Quarterfinal and Third place game
2023 in Sweden/Poland: Main Round
EHF EURO
2014 in Denmark: Prel round
2016 in Poland: Seventh place game
2018 in Croatia: Final
2020 in Sweden/Norway/Austria: Main Round
2022 in Hungary/Slovakia: Prel round
EHF Final four
2020: Final
2022: Final
The duo was also highlighted in the match fixing-related reports last year from TV2. However, the EHF states that this has nothing to do with match fixing.
In May, the EHF decided to suspend the Member Refereeing of the EHF Competition Commission, Dragan Nachevski from his appointments in the federation.
Full statement from the EHF:
“The EHF Court of Handball has reached its decision in a case opened against the referee Matija Gubica.
Matija Gubica was found guilty of having violated fundamental obligations outlined in the EHF Code of Conduct and the IHF Ethics Code.
Due to the violations, the Court of Handball decided that Gubica is suspended from officiating EHF competitions for three years.
Two thirds of the three-year suspension are awarded on a suspended sentence basis, deferred with a probation period of two years. The suspension period is calculated as of 1 June 2023.
Additionally, Matija Gubica shall pay a fine of €6000 for the violations outlined. Two thirds of the fine are imposed on a suspended basis, subject to a two-year probationary period starting from the date of this decision.
An appeal may be filed with the EHF Couret of Appeal within seven days.
The case is not related to any allegations of possible match fixing nor any other undue influence on a match result.“