Dietmar Drabek

Dietmar Drabek (born 30 June 1965 in Steyr) is a former Austrian football referee. He is a member of the Upper Austrian Football Association. Drabek was an international FIFA referee from 1997 to 2006. Since 2011, he has been a speaker for refereeing development and head of talent funding for the Upper Austrian referees.
The father of Dietmar Drabek was also a referee. At the age of nine, Dietmar Drabek started playing football, in the junior category, of the then second division SK Vorwärts Steyr. Drabek soon decided to become a referee and at the age of 17 completed the referee examination.
Initially, Dietmar Drabek refereed games in the Upper Austrian lower leagues. In 1992 he began directed games in the Upper Austrian League, which was then the third highest league. Only two years later, the trained retail salesperson, directed games in the second highest league, the Erste Liga. On 1 July 1994 he was in the squad of the Bundesliga referees. He refereed his first game in the National League, on 13 August 1994, between FC Puch and the SV Stockerau (1-1).
Just one year later he referring in the Austrian Bundesliga. His first game there was on 1 April 1, 1995, where SK Sturm Graz played against FC Admira Wacker Mödling (2-2).
Drabek became a FIFA referee in 1997 and directed 40 international matches.