Who will officiate UEFA finals?

 Please find below a prediction about the candidates for 2022-23 UEFA CL, EL and ECL finals.

Let's start with UEFA Champions League final, to be played in Istanbul on 10 June. The most predictable name for this season, also in terms of expectations, was surely Danny Makkelie from the Netherlands. Nevertheless, the Dutch referee had a quite particular KO stage. After an appearance in the Round of 16, he skipped the whole Quarterfinals round, being back in Europa League yesterday, with a challenging semifinal. The performance was  hugely discussed due to the incident involving a possible penalty before the end of first half. The appointment for this game was a possible risk, also due to the teams involved, a very difficult game was predictable, indeed this happened. In my opinion if committee had in mind to appoint him for the final, they could have managed his games in a different way. It remains a candidate but trying to read more from committee, possible that they had a different name in mind. I think that it was absolutely unfair to leave him out from Champuons League final one year ago, because then year after year you can't know what is going to happen. But there is a future ahead and surely he will be candidate for big games.  

Then, about Anthony Taylor one can't have doubts that he was considered, but given the very expected qualification of Manchester City to the final, he is now clearly out. 

To follow, Slavko Vinčić from Slovenia has been reported as possible candidate, according to some rumors, but in my opinion he will not get this game after having been in the middle with Manchester City in a rather poor game. 

The choice of Szymon Marciniak seems now unlikely due to the appointment in semifinal. Nevertheless, one can't exclude this surprise, and of course the memory would be back at Collina in 2016 with Clattenburg management. 

Going on with the analysis, we have to discuss about Carlos Del Cerro Grande and his management by committe: very particular and one could say that referee was in a way "hidden", being appointed only in some games. Of course with Real Madrid he would have been ruled out, but now it seems he has the big chance. This appointment would even suit, as Mikael wrote as comment, with the kind of game, surely not a very demanding one, at least on paper. So this would be a compromise because in recent times the Spanish didn't do so much to justify this appointment. In my opinion this would be a final award for his career. Closing without a big game, would mark a full difference with his countryman Antonio Mateu Lahoz, who already officiated this game, and maybe this would be unfair. Still, he could get Conference League final, but here we had a Spanish referee in semifinal and why not Del Cerro appointed again? These can be the signals for him. Anything more? Having a woman in CL final, Guadalupe Porras Ayuso, would write the history for committte.  

Last name to be mentioned, but in my opinion extremey low chances, possible only on paper: Felix Zwayer. The reason would be the path he followed, absolutely new and different from the past, but still not enoug for me for this final, indeed I can predict him for another final.

Quite short analysis about Europa League and Conference League finals.

István Kovács was surely a candidate for the last act of the second European competition for clubs, but he spoiled himself in Champions League game under the eyes of Rosetti. 

I think that the argument of keeping Anthony Taylor for a hot final involving an Italian team is an extremey valid one.. but we all know how much difficult is for an English referee to officiate certain teams from nations like Italy and Spain. 

To me, after knowing that the pairing will be Sevilla - Roma, there can be huge chances to see Szymon Marciniak finally handling his first UEFA final, apart from Super Cup. The weird gap between the WC final and NO FINALS in UEFA is something extra ordinaty that can still continue to exist, but this seems a more than valid occasion to appoint a referee that perfectly suits with this extremely  hot tie. From World Cup final to Europa League final? We will see.  

Soares Dias stays as option for this final, but for me he didn't do enough to get this big credit so quick, after his appearance in Champions League top match. 

The aforementioned Felix Zwayer has also this option but for me, not suitable game for him. 

The situation about Conference League is the most difficult to read because, you know, there are by far many candidates than the other two finals and committee can surprise us (but maybe better to say, they can ALWAYS surprise us). So, I think it is not 100% strictly useful to write about everything and all names, I will just report my idea, that is indeed the German. Felix Zwayer, replaced for some reasons in semifinals, could be the referee in charge of this final. This would match with the use of him committee made in this KO stage, and, unless he couldn't appear for personal reasons, it looks still strange that his colleague Siebert had the last German act of this KO stage in Europa League semifinal. Nevertheless, here the names are really various, depending on the ideas of committe, and one can include, for example, Soares Dias.

So, final predictions are

Champions League Final: Carlos Del Cerro Grande (ESP) 

Europa League Final: Szymon Marciniak (POL)

Europa Conference League Final: Felix Zwayer (GER)

And you? What are your names for UEFA finals? Feel free to share your opinion as comment!