Who will officiate 2019 UEFA Super Cup? Analysis and prediction

In a short time, the first UEFA trophy for European clubs of 2019-20 season will be assigned in Istanbul, Turkey. It will be a fantastic English derby between Liverpool and Chelsea. Who will officiate this game? Let's try an analysis. 

Vodafone Arena, venue for 2019 UEFA Super Cup

We can assume that the game will be officiated by an Elite referee and we will not see again a referee who already got this assignment in past.

So, from the current list of Elite referees:

Deniz Aytekin (GER), Benoît Bastien (FRA), Felix Brych (GER), Cüneyt Çakır (TUR) , William Collum (SCO), Carlos del Cerro Grande (ESP), Jesús Gil Manzano (ESP), Ovidiu Hațegan (ROU), Sergei Karasev (RUS), Viktor Kassai (HUN), Aleksei Kulbakov (BLR), Pavel Královec (CZE), Ivan Kružliak (SVK), Björn Kuipers (NED), Danny Makkelie (NED), Szymon Marciniak (POL), Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP), Michael Oliver (ENG), Daniele Orsato (ITA), Gianluca Rocchi (ITA) Anastasios Sidiropoulos (GRE), Damir Skomina (SVN), Artur Soares Dias (POR), Anthony Taylor (ENG), Clément Turpin (FRA), Felix Zwayer (GER)

we can rule out Collum (SCO), Kuipers (NED), Marciniak (POL), Rocchi (ITA), Skomina (SVN).

In addition, for question of opportunity, we can rule out the referees coming from the country (England) of the teams involved, despite of the fact that this appointment would be still possible as both teams couldn't argue on referee's neutrality. They are Michael Oliver (ENG) and Anthony Taylor (ENG).

Further step is about the new Elite referees, for them it would be for sure too early in any case: Carlos del Cerro Grande (ESP, who has anyway another colleague ahead), Aleksei Kulbakov (BLR), Ivan Kružliak (SVK).

Regarding other stuff, basically performances and consideration by committee, at least in my opinion and based on recent assignments, I think we can easily say that it would be unlikely to see Benoît Bastien (FRA), Deniz Aytekin (GER), Benoît Bastien (FRA), Jesús Gil Manzano (ESP), Sergei Karasev (RUS), Viktor Kassai (HUN), Pavel Královec (CZE), Anastasios Sidiropoulos (GRE) and Artur Soares Dias (POR) appointe for this game. I wish to all of them the best for the future and I'm sure we will see them again (or in some cases, for the first time) officiating very big games.

The remaining names are:

Felix Brych (GER), Cüneyt Çakır (TUR), Ovidiu Hațegan (ROU),  Danny Makkelie (NED),  Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP),  Daniele Orsato (ITA),  Clément Turpin (FRA), Felix Zwayer (GER).

Regarding Orsato (ITA), since we had an Italian appointment for Super Cup with Rocchi two years ago, I assume that he wont be appointed for this game. The final choice is among the rest of these referees. It is interesting to see that about Germany, both Brych and Zwayer on paper could get this game, however I think that in case of German assignment, Brych would be the selected referee, so I tend to exclude Zwayer, also because his KO stage was not the best in terms of performances. 

Felix Brych (GER), Cüneyt Çakır (TUR), Ovidiu Hațegan (ROU),  Danny Makkelie (NED),  Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP),  Clément Turpin (FRA).

All these referees for sure would be absolutey justified in case they get the assignment.

Felix Brych (GER) would make the famous "Triplete" after having officiated both Champions and Europa League finals. 

Cüneyt Çakır (TUR) has strong arguments as he is a top UEFA referee with only one final, he is indeed known as the "man of semifinals", with so many appointments for the second-last stage of many competitions, but rarely seen in final. In case he would get Super Cup in his home city and this would make a great sense.

Ovidiu Hațegan (ROU) has developed in an outstanding way in recent years and he would be ready for this game as well. The "problem" for him would be VAR presence. Indeed he had to skip last CL KO stage, due to missing experience with new technology. However, even in case he wont get this game, a big future is waiting and he is already a candidate for some finals in future.

Danny Makkelie (NED) is another very strong name for this game. As reported for Orsato / Rocchi, we must underline that a referee from Netherlands already got this game (Kuipers), but 8 years ago. So this wouldn't be a problem, I assume, in case.  Makkelie would crown the recent years always at very high level.

Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP) has been appointed as fourth official in Champions League final and the feeling is that he would have been option for a final assignment this season. The fact that, despite of two finals without Spanish teams, he wa not assigned as main referee, was for sure a surprise. At the same time, considering that this will be another chance, we are allowed to think that this time committee could make this choice. Would it be a deserved assignment? In my personal opinion Mateu Lahoz was regular all over the years, but differently from other referees, he was never excellent. For sure, trying to reason as committee does, an appointment like this would be logical.

Clément Turpin (FRA), I already talked about the excellent level of  officiating reached by the French, and this game would be a very natural consequence, having the chance to referee the first final, a deserved achievement... but... I also think that it would ber  very wise to keep still him for the new season as "clean" candidate for something (one must indeed add that so far never happened that a referee with Super Cup assignment, then got another final during the season). I would keep him as very strong option for Europa League, but not only... then, to add, said with all the respect, it is very rare to see French teams in a final, surely this can play in favor of him.

So maybe reading the last two chapters, you guessed my idea. 

I think that this chance will be used for Mateu Lahoz, given also the fact that this could be the last possible assignment for a Spanish referee in a quite long time. 

Therefore Mateu Lahoz is my final prediction, as second option I would keep Çakır, he absolutely deserves a second major final in his palmares.

As VAR, with Mateu, in case, natural choice would be Carlos del Cerro Grande.  With Çakır, maybe Makkelie. 

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