Stefan Nikolic has also played in test matches for FC Südtirol.

Stefan Nikolic: His cousin referees in the ICE, he plays football in Italy

Stefan Nikolic lives in the Vinschgau Valley, is 28 years old, and a bank employee. Nothing special, you might think. But Stefan Nikolic is more than that. His passion drives him across Italy every weekend, while his prominent relatives are constantly exposed to the wrath of ice hockey fans in Bolzano and Pustertal.

June 28, 2025

Nikolic – this name is probably familiar to every ice hockey fan in South Tyrol. Manuel and Kristijan Nikolic have been refereeing games in the ICE Hockey League for 13 years, regularly visiting Bolzano and Bruneck. The twin brothers from Innsbruck are considered among the best in their field, yet their performances – especially those in South Tyrol – are more controversial than those of few other ICE referees.

So far, nothing new. But what few people know: There's also a referee named Nikolic in South Tyrol. However, he doesn't officiate ice hockey matches, but football matches – and he does so throughout Italy. Stefan Nikolic, like his older cousins ​​from Innsbruck, was once an active footballer himself, but switched to refereeing about a decade ago. He used to officiate matches in the amateur leagues, and for several years now he's been working as a linesman in Serie D.

From Monday to Friday in the bank

While Manuel and Kristijan Nikolic were born and raised in North Tyrol, Stefan was born in Serbia. As a ten-year-old boy, he moved with his family to Prato allo Stelvio. "Football integrated me," he says with a distinct Upper Vinschgau accent. Stefan Nikolic now lives in Naturno and works as a customer advisor at Sparkasse Meet in Merano. Monday through Friday. On weekends, he earns "pocket money," as he describes it, on Italy's football pitches.

“I have a good 30 euros left per game” Stefan Nikolic

Indeed, he can't make a living from his refereeing job. "After taxes, I'm left with a good 30 euros per match," he reveals. Added to that is a mileage allowance that doesn't even come close to what's paid out in the South Tyrolean private sector. And yet, week after week, he travels across the country. Last season, he was on the sidelines in all nine fourth-division districts.

With police escort from the stadium

Stefan Nikolic has seen and experienced a lot in football – from cramped, almost deserted provincial pitches in the northernmost Alpine valleys to sizzling football arenas in the far south. In Caserta (Campania), he ran up and down the line in front of more than 2.000 fans, then walked with a police escort to the nearest motorway exit. Nothing unusual for him, and yet he says: "I love the games in the south. It's very demanding, but all the more passionate for it."

Stefan Nikolic prefers to be on the sidelines in southern Italy. © Mimmo Lazzarino

Nikolic had to fly to Sicily three times last season. He travels to the islands by plane, but otherwise he mostly travels by train or car – alone. He usually starts on Saturday and returns home late Sunday evening, sometimes not until Monday. "It only works with a lot of passion," says the Naturno native.

“What my cousins ​​get is sometimes quite severe.” Stefan Nikolic

It's precisely this passion that drives Nikolic's continued upward trajectory. He hopes to one day be one of the 35 chosen, out of a total of 390 Serie D linesmen, who make it to the third division year after year. Does he get a tip or two from his prominent relatives? "Not sure, but I can learn a lot from them. They exude authority and know how to handle pressure." The Nikolic cousins ​​meet regularly in Innsbruck or the Vinschgau Valley.

Manuel and Kristijan Nikolic have been refereeing for the ICE for years. They have also officiated in Switzerland and at World Championships. © ICEHL

Speaking of pressure: Stefan Nikolic regularly sees for himself the hostility his cousins ​​face. "Whenever I have the time, I watch their games in person. What my cousins ​​get there is sometimes pretty intense – especially in Bolzano, there were quite a few personal insults." The football referee also says: "As a referee, you never make friends. But criticism – as long as it's above the belt – is okay. These are things we have to deal with; Manuel and Kristijan can handle it."

The many kilometers of travel, modest pay and often harsh criticism – none of this can separate the Nikolic referee family from their great passion: sport – whether north or south of the Brenner Pass, whether ice hockey or football.