Leo Goldstein () was an American-Israeli association football referee who survived the Holocaust due to his expertise in the rules of soccer.
Biography Leo Goldstein was a Polish-born Jew. He was deported to Auschwitz and was condemned to the gas chambers but was suddenly pulled aside by an SS guard who claimed to be a German international soccer player. He was ordered to return to the barracks and serve as a referee in soccer games between soldiers and guards at Auschwitz and nearby camps.Soccer under the Swastika, Kevin E. Simpson
After the war he immigrated to Israel, but eventually settled in New York, where he worked as a taxi driver and a referee of soccer games in the Bowery.Soccer Stories: Anecdotes, Oddities, Lore, and Amazing Feats, Donn Risolo
Sports career Goldstein refereed for the American Soccer League in the 1950s and 1960s, before becoming a FIFA international referee between 1959 and 1967. Goldstein was active as an assistant referee at FIFA World Cups, officiating the Hungary-EnglandFIFA. "Match Report - Hungary - England 2:1 (1:0)" . 31 May 1962. Retrieved on 28 April 2013. and Chile-ItalyFIFA. "Match Report - Chile - Italy 2:0 (0:0)". 2 June 1962. Retrieved on 28 April 2013. matches in the group stages in 1962. He also officiated in the 1959 Pan American GamesMora Rivera, José de Jesus; Litterer, Dave; Morrison, Neil; Jönsson, Mikael. "Panamerican Games 1959". RSSSF, 4 January 2013. Retrieved on 28 April 2013. and 1962 World Cup qualifiers.RSSSF. "World Cup 1962 qualifications". Retrieved on 28 April 2013.
Goldstein is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum.
See also List of Jews in sports (non-players)
References