Ivan Bebek and his bride Ana were married in Ljubuški, and their celebration brought together a group well known to football fans. Among the guests were former and current referees, football officials and people who have long been part of the Croatian First Football League (HNL).
The former long-serving first-division referee and former president of the HNS Referees' Committee, Bruno Marić, attended the wedding. He was joined by other well-known first-division referees Bojan Zobenica, Jakov Titlić, Igor Pajač and Dario Bel. Among the guests were also coach Zoran Zekić and Stipe Doljanin.
The standard-bearer at the wedding was Frano Jović, who in the current HNS records is listed within the elite group of referees and VAR referees.
During his career, the chief referee presided over 318 matches of the HNL, including 25 derbies between Dinamo and Hajduk. He officiated in 13 Champions League matches and 52 matches in the Europa League, and was also the first Croatian referee to enter the UEFA elite group.
He ended his career as a main referee on the pitch in 2023, continuing to work as a VAR referee. FIFA has assigned him a place at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, where he was involved in 11 matches. This made him the first Croatian referee at a world football tournament since Damir Matovinović, who officiated at the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
