The UEFA Referees Committee has today announced the referee team appointments for the 2026 UEFA club competition finals.
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The appointments in chronological order of the dates the matches will be played:
2026 UEFA Europa League final refereeing team
Referee: François Letexier (France)
Assistants: Cyril Mugnier and Mehdi Rahmouni (both from France)
4th Official: Alejandro José Hernández Hernández (Spain)
Reserve AR: José Enrique Naranjo Pérez (Spain)
VAR: Jérôme Brisard (France)
Assistant VAR: Willy Delajod (France)
VAR Support: Dennis Higler (Netherlands)
François Letexier from France will referee the 2026 UEFA Europa League final between SC Freiburg and Aston Villa, to be played at Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul, Türkiye, on Wednesday 20 May 2026 at 21:00 CEST (22:00 local time).
An international referee since 2017, the 37-year-old French has this season taken charge of eight UEFA Champions League matches – including the quarter-final return leg between Arsenal FC and Sporting CP. This will be his second UEFA competition final as a referee after having officiated Spain vs England in the UEFA EURO 2024 final. He also refereed the 2023 UEFA Super Cup between Manchester City and Sevilla FC, and was the fourth official of the 2024 UEFA Champions League final. He took charge of four matches at UEFA EURO 2024.
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2026 UEFA Women’s Champions League final refereeing team
Referee: Tess Olofsson (Sweden)
Assistants: Almira Spahic (Sweden) and Monica Løkkeberg (Norway)
4th Official: Iuliana Demetrescu (Romania)
Reserve AR: Tilde Hedberg (Sweden)
VAR: Bram Van Driessche (Belgium)
Assistant VAR: Fedayi San (Switzerland)
VAR Support: Michael Fabbri (Italy)
The UEFA Referees Committee has also announced that Tess Olofsson from Sweden will referee the 2026 UEFA Women’s Champions League final between FC Barcelona and OL Lyonnes at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, Norway on Saturday 23 May 2026 at 18:00 CEST (17:00 local time).
An international referee since 2015, the 38-year-old, from Sweden, will take charge of her first UEFA Women’s Champions League final after officiating last year’s semi-final second leg between Chelsea FC Women and FC Barcelona. This season, she has been taking charge of four UEFA Women’s Champions League matches, including the quarter-final return leg between FC Bayern München and Manchester United Women. She also officiated last year at the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 final tournament, including the quarter-final between France and Germany.
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2026 UEFA Conference League final refereeing team
Referee: Maurizio Mariani (Italy)
Assistants: Daniele Bindoni and Alberto Tegoni (both from Italy)
4th Official: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
Reserve AR: Mahbod Beigi (Sweden)
VAR: Marco Di Bello (Italy)
Assistant VAR: Daniele Chiffi (Italy)
VAR Support: Ivan Bebek (Croatia)
The UEFA Referees Committee has revealed that Maurizio Mariani of Italy will referee the 2026 UEFA Conference League final between Crystal Palace FC and Rayo Vallecano de Madrid at Leipzig Stadium in Leipzig, Germany, on Wednesday 27 May 2026 at 21:00 CEST.
The 44-year-old has been an international referee since 2019 and will be taking charge of his first UEFA club competition final, after being fourth official at the UEFA Europa League final last year in Bilbao. This season he has officiated seven UEFA Champions League matches – including the quarter-final return leg between Liverpool FC and Paris Saint-Germain – and one UEFA Europa League match.
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2026 UEFA Champions League final refereeing team
Referee: Daniel Siebert (Germany)
Assistants: Jan Seidel and Rafael Foltyn (both from Germany)
4th Official: Sandro Schärer (Switzerland)
Reserve AR: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso (Spain)
VAR: Bastian Dankert (Germany)
Assistant VAR: Robert Schröder (Germany)
VAR Support: Carlos Del Cerro Grande (Spain)
The UEFA Referees Committee has appointed Daniel Siebert from Germany to referee the 2026 UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal FC, which takes place at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary on Saturday 30 May 2026. Kick-off is at 18:00 CEST.
The 42-year-old, an international referee since 2015, will be officiating his first UEFA club competition final. He has refereed nine UEFA Champions League matches this season, including the quarter-final first leg between Sporting CP and Arsenal FC, and the semi-final second leg between Arsenal FC and Atlético de Madrid. He was also the referee of the 2025 UEFA Europa League semi-final between Manchester United and Athletic Club. He officiated two games at the UEFA EURO 2024 and three games at UEFA EURO 2020.
Sven Jablonski for DFB Pokal with VAR Storks
ReplyDeleteSiebert appointed CL final.
ReplyDeleteDaniel Siebert
ReplyDeleteJan Seidel
Rafael Foltyn
Sandro Schärer
VA: Bastian Dankert
AVAR: Robert Schröder
If the news about Daniel Siebert are true, I will said just one thing- what is deserved, is deserved, and nobody can say that its not. Congrats to Daniel Siberet! Hope he will preform well
ReplyDeletehttps://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/02a5-20996c0c224b-a548ec519cbe-1000--referee-teams-for-2026-uefa-club-competition-finals-anno
DeleteCL Final: Siebert Fo: Scharer
ReplyDeleteEL Final: Letexier Fo: Hernández
ECL Final: Mariani Fo: Nyberg
Disgusted by Mariani's appointment.... means no one is being held accountable for the mess at Anfield in the QFs..... poor Nyberg deserved that game. Siebert and Letexier well deserved i must say, however Makkelie falls again :(
DeleteWhat mess are you talking about? There was a PK corrected by VAR and nothing more
Deletehttps://law5-theref.blogspot.com/2026/04/champions-league-202526-referee.html?showComment=1775410869146#c8558876798115286243
DeleteThe credibility factor which struck out Mariani, Zwayer and Scharer must also must have (probably rightly) eliminated Pinheiro's chance, too, given the Portuguese's inexperience. Though: complete absense of both he and Eskas after Bayern-PSG is noteworthy? 'Disgusted' is WAY, way too strong a term to describe Mariani's appointment, sorry.
I am disgusted... Glenn Nyberg deserves that game, 4O on that is an insult. What happened at Anfield was a mess and the common view on here was that one of Mariani (most likely) or Di Bello needed to be held accountable. Also there clearly was an issue because why was Pinheiro brought in last minute for the game in Munich when quite clearly Mariani was the original name. Farcical!
Delete+1 @A16 Nyberg deserved it way more than Mariani.
DeleteDefinitely, among potential names like Mariani, Pinheiro, or Schärer, Siebert is the one who deserves it the most. It’s confirmation that, at this moment, in UEFA’s eyes, Siebert is Germany’s number one referee. Even though he’s not on the list for the World Cup, this is certainly a major form of compensation. It’s a shame for Zwayer and this season, because it was the perfect opportunity for him to get his final.
ReplyDeleteIn any case, congratulations to Siebert and best of luck!
DFB confirms the appointment of team Siebert. I'm happy for him but it's also a rather wild situation that he gets the CL final but does not go to the WC. If I'm not mistaken, Terje Hauge was the last one with the same fate in 2006 (but like Siebert, he was part of the previous WC).
ReplyDeleteEven though he has been refereeing all the toughest big matches for years, Makkelie did not get the final, while excellent referees who are less talented and less experienced than him (Vincic, Kovacs, Siebert) were appointed. Is it possible that, regardless of the teams on the field and Makkelie’s performance, for reasons we don’t know, it’s impossible for the committee to assign the final to the Dutchman, just as it was impossible for Orsato to get the last World Cup final?
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry for Makkelie. After such a great season, it has happened again. It is probably because PSG are in the final or perhaps they will never appoint him to the final because of PSG. Who knows… In any case, congratulations to Siebert.
DeleteSomehow I feel confirmed in my point of view regarding which referees are suitable for which competitions: Daniel Siebert's appointment for the Champions League is understandable if you consider—aside from his form curve—that he was not nominated for the World Cup, whereas, for example, Alejandro (Hdz)² was. Francois Letexier officiates the 'highest possible' final with the Europa League, as he cannot be considered for the Champions League anyway due to PSG's presence. And Maurizio Mariani fits quite well into the picture I recently described, in which I see the Conference League as a competition for rising talents, while Sven Jablonski (an Elite Referee only since 2026) might be too young in terms of years of service.
ReplyDeletePeter, you always make me smile. The expression (Hdz)² is absolutely brilliant.
DeleteHard to see that Mariani would have got the ECL final if the chair of refcom had a different passport.
ReplyDeleteWith this conspiracy theory, Refcom could also have nominated him for the Champions League final. That would have been, purely 'arithmetically speaking,' even more elegant than appointing Daniel Siebert three times in a row in the quarterfinal, semifinal, and final for Arsenal London.
DeleteReceptivity to controversy eliminated Eskas and Pinheiro(?), at which point one could guess it was a runoff between Mariani and Nyberg, to which the appointments would argue in favour of the Italian. It would have been better though to switch the places of Mariani and Scharer from my pov, but I can imagine this option was ruled out by one member of the committee not wanting the Swiss to gain an excessive amount of credit before the World Cup starts (especially in an Sui-Esp-Esp crew!). Fully deserved appointment for Letexier, too.
DeleteAnyway, regret for Makkelie,but Im surre that he will have his chance in next two/three years.
ReplyDeleteThen, congratulations to Francios Letexier on Europa League final. Was more then deserved. Congrats also to Maurizio on the final, i expected Nyberg, but I strongley belive that he is contender for SuperCup.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame for Makkelie...
ReplyDeleteAn absolutely astonishing achievement for Daniel Siebert!
ReplyDeleteChapeau, sir.
I was personally fan of Makkelie,honest. But, I wrote after Arsenal Atletico Game that Siebert would be perfect option for PSG Arsenal final. And, also, If I need to comapre Danny And Sibert in SF performances, Siebert was better!
DeleteIt depends on how you look at it.
DeleteMakkelie showed the courage to make important decisions. In the semi-final, he awarded a penalty that was later overturned by the VAR because it was considered too soft. Siebert, on the other hand, chose not to award a penalty to Atlético Madrid and did not issue a red card for DOGSO, while the VAR remained silent.
Rosetti has often stated in interviews that he values referees with strong personalities who make decisions on the field rather than relying on the VAR. Yet in the latter stages of the competition, it sometimes appears that referees who avoid major decisions and leave the VAR out of the equation are preferred. This approach naturally leads to less controversy.
So Siebert is deemed to be not in the top 15 in Europe but still he gets the CL final. Weird appointment for me.
ReplyDeleteWhat is more interesting, besides the treatment of Makkelie by UEFA, is the appointment of Siebert to the final despite the fact that he was not selected by FIFA for the World Cup. This appears somewhat provocative.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that UEFA wanted to show solidarity with Siebert for not going to the World Cup and decided to send a message to FIFA and Collina with this appointment for the final in Budapest.
DeleteSiebert’s appointment is for me a bit unexpected considering he refereed a (2nd leg UCL semi-final). However, I cannot say it is undeserved because apart from “surviving” a bit in the last 15 mins of ARS-ATM, he absolutely had an astonishing season, which makes this appointment totally fair (all in all, I feel sorry for Makkelie, but his time will come).
ReplyDeleteLetexier’s appointment was quite predictable and deserved, although he did not have a spotless season (but who did?).
I predicted Mariani in UCL Final just for the absence of other names, on paper. By the way, I think this is a justified appointment for him, his European path is quite sensed. He did well, without being excellent, some mistakes of course but in general I like him as a referees, so I wouldn’t say this appointment is disgusting.
Congrats to all three teams!
So UCL final referee will not go to the WC, that's quite something imo. Great bounce back for him after hard times last couple of years. Really hard for Makkelie once again.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy for Siebert; I think he's a great referee and his season has been excellent. An old-school referee. In Spain, he was heavily criticized after the Arsenal-Atletico match. Of the possible options (excluding Makkelie due to PSG's presence), I think he's the best. Congratulations also to Letexier, Mariani, and Olofsson, and to some extent, to Scharer, HdezHdez, Nyberg, and Demetrescu.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Eskas-Pinheiro's decision not to show the 2YC didn't sit well with Rosetti.
Équipe arbitrale de la finale de la Ligue des champions de l'UEFA 2026
ReplyDeleteArbitre : Daniel Siebert (Allemagne)
Assistants : Jan Seidel et Rafael Foltyn (tous deux originaires d'Allemagne)
4ème Officiel : Sandro Schärer (Suisse)
Réserve AR : Guadalupe Porras Ayuso (Espagne)
VAR : Bastian Dankert (Allemagne)
Assistant VAR : Robert Schröder (Allemagne)
Support VAR : Carlos Del Cerro Grande (Espagne)
2026 UEFA Europa League final refereeing team
ReplyDeleteReferee: François Letexier (France)
Assistants: Cyril Mugnier and Mehdi Rahmouni (both from France)
4th Official: Alejandro José Hernández Hernández (Spain)
Reserve AR: José Enrique Naranjo Pérez (Spain)
VAR: Jérôme Brisard (France)
Assistant VAR: Willy Delajod (France)
VAR Support: Dennis Higler (Netherlands)
François Letexier from France will referee the 2026 UEFA Europa League final between SC Freiburg and Aston Villa, to be played at Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul, Türkiye, on Wednesday 20 May 2026 at 21:00 CEST (22:00 local time).
An international referee since 2017, the 37-year-old French has this season taken charge of eight UEFA Champions League matches – including the quarter-final return leg between Arsenal FC and Sporting CP. This will be his second UEFA competition final as a referee after having officiated Spain vs England in the UEFA EURO 2024 final. He also refereed the 2023 UEFA Super Cup between Manchester City and Sevilla FC, and was the fourth official of the 2024 UEFA Champions League final. He took charge of four matches at UEFA EURO 2024.
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2026 UEFA Women’s Champions League final refereeing team
Referee: Tess Olofsson (Sweden)
Assistants: Almira Spahic (Sweden) and Monica Løkkeberg (Norway)
4th Official: Iuliana Demetrescu (Romania)
Reserve AR: Tilde Hedberg (Sweden)
VAR: Bram Van Driessche (Belgium)
Assistant VAR: Fedayi San (Switzerland)
VAR Support: Michael Fabbri (Italy)
The UEFA Referees Committee has also announced that Tess Olofsson from Sweden will referee the 2026 UEFA Women’s Champions League final between FC Barcelona and OL Lyonnes at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, Norway on Saturday 23 May 2026 at 18:00 CEST (17:00 local time).
An international referee since 2015, the 38-year-old, from Sweden, will take charge of her first UEFA Women’s Champions League final after officiating last year’s semi-final second leg between Chelsea FC Women and FC Barcelona. This season, she has been taking charge of four UEFA Women’s Champions League matches, including the quarter-final return leg between FC Bayern München and Manchester United Women. She also officiated last year at the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 final tournament, including the quarter-final between France and Germany.
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2026 UEFA Conference League final refereeing team
Referee: Maurizio Mariani (Italy)
Assistants: Daniele Bindoni and Alberto Tegoni (both from Italy)
4th Official: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
Reserve AR: Mahbod Beigi (Sweden)
VAR: Marco Di Bello (Italy)
Assistant VAR: Daniele Chiffi (Italy)
VAR Support: Ivan Bebek (Croatia)
The UEFA Referees Committee has revealed that Maurizio Mariani of Italy will referee the 2026 UEFA Conference League final between Crystal Palace FC and Rayo Vallecano de Madrid at Leipzig Stadium in Leipzig, Germany, on Wednesday 27 May 2026 at 21:00 CEST.
The 44-year-old has been an international referee since 2019 and will be taking charge of his first UEFA club competition final, after being fourth official at the UEFA Europa League final last year in Bilbao. This season he has officiated seven UEFA Champions League matches – including the quarter-final return leg between Liverpool FC and Paris Saint-Germain – and one UEFA Europa League match.
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2026 UEFA Champions League final refereeing team
Referee: Daniel Siebert (Germany)
Assistants: Jan Seidel and Rafael Foltyn (both from Germany)
4th Official: Sandro Schärer (Switzerland)
Reserve AR: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso (Spain)
VAR: Bastian Dankert (Germany)
Assistant VAR: Robert Schröder (Germany)
VAR Support: Carlos Del Cerro Grande (Spain)
Équipe arbitrale de la finale de l'UEFA Europa League 2026
ReplyDeleteArbitre : François Letexier (France)
Assistants : Cyril Mugnier et Mehdi Rahmouni (tous deux français)
4ème Officiel : Alejandro José Hernández Hernández (Espagne)
Réserve AR : José Enrique Naranjo Pérez (Espagne)
VAR : Jérôme Brisard (France)
Assistant VAR : Willy Delajod (France)
Soutien VAR : Dennis Higler (Pays-Bas)
Équipe arbitrale de la finale de la Ligue Conférence UEFA 2026
ReplyDeleteArbitre : Maurizio Mariani (Italie)
Assistants : Daniele Bindoni et Alberto Tegoni (tous deux italiens)
4e officiel : Glenn Nyberg (Suède)
Réserve AR : Mahbod Beigi (Suède)
VAR : Marco Di Bello (Italie)
Assistant VAR : Daniele Chiffi (Italie)
Soutien VAR : Ivan Bebek (Croatie)
Congratulation to all referees !!!! This is an outstanding achievement in their carrier. Happy for Siebert but very disappointed for Makkelie; he would have fully deserved
ReplyDeleteI think this is a perfect game for Siebert, two teams who will be football focused shouldn’t be a problem for him. The way I see it is that the committee would have rather given the final to Makkelie hence the first leg appointment, his VAR failed him (imo) by calling him to the monitor for the eze penalty. If even the smallest of decisions goes against Arsenal they will allege bias given that it was the same ref that’s against them. Siebert on the other hand did quite well imo on the return leg in London which was the more difficult one of the 2. Unfortunate for Makkelie but god good uefa refereeing is in a bad spot right now with their #1 for the season not being selected for the WC
ReplyDeleteI agree with you overall, but I never like the argument that 'VAR failed him' - unless of course you are talking about a failed intervention, which is not the case.
DeleteReferees are absolutely within their right to be invited for an OFR and stick with their original decision. The issue is, it takes a level of courage that many referees do not have, least of all in a UCL SF.
I posed a similar question when Makkelie was appointed to the semifinal and would like to hear the thoughts of those who are more experts than I:
ReplyDeleteDoesn’t the conditional-upon-the-teams-involved nature of this appointment, and the fact that most of the semifinal referees were in contention for the Final if there were specific matchups, create a de facto conflict of interest for those referees? For example, let’s assume for a moment that everyone in UEFA more-or-less assumed that Oliver would be picked ahead of Siebert unless an English team was present in the Final. Siebert referred the second leg Arsenal vs Atletico. I’m not suggesting he did anything wrong in that game, but shouldn’t this situation (where a referee directly benefits from a certain result in his match) be strictly avoided by UEFA?
The three referees who officiated European competition finals last season (Peljto, Zwayer, and Kovacs) saw 2 out of 3 not officiate a CL knockout match this season. Peljto and Zwayer had seasons to forget, while Kovacs was involved in certain controversies. A clear example of how much things can change in just one season.
ReplyDeleteDeserved for Siebert, if we exclude added time in Arsenal Atletico,he has been consistent and great this all season.
ReplyDeleteFunny enough, ref who will handle CL Final is not going to the WC.
Based on the comments I’m reading the majority here think that Makkilie deserved to referee the CL final. He had one or two questionable situations of late but many think he didn’t get the gig because PSG are in the final. If that is the case then ref com members need to grow a pair. And what message does that send to referees when they next officiate PSG. DO NOT award anything controversial against them or it will be on your CV forever. Maybe it’s understandable now that Pinheiro was reluctant to issue the second YC, instead of finding another offence. That now seems to have backfired on him if the ref com have taken a dim view. What does a referee do?
ReplyDeleteOr maybe it's an exaggerated worry/issue and the actual reason he wasn't selected for the final was that his semifinal performance simply was not good enough. With other referees, having a poor showing, OFR's etc is a negative - but these things don't affect the Law5 Expert Group's shared assessment of Mr Makk - it's only about a conspiracy keeping him from the final. Evil PSG & Rosetti vs the poor Dutch.
DeleteSo glad you agree that that PSG and Roberto (ref com) are evil. You forgot cowardly though.
DeleteIs this the first time that CL final referee in WC year is not selected for the WC?
ReplyDeleteTerje Hauge in 2006
DeleteHelmut Krug in 1998
DeleteWhy does UEFA appreciate Siebert (but not Zwayer),
ReplyDeleteand FIFA appreciate Zwayer (but not Siebert)?!??
Ask Collina and Rosetti about it. If there isn't a good reason, believe me, it's just stubbornness.
DeleteThere are rumors that it is also due to how Siebert presented himself nationally after the last World Cup
DeleteAn absolutely disgusting and disgraceful appointment of Mariani a disgrace absolutely terrible. Get that so called head of referees out, it’s absolutely disgraceful.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Siebert and Letexier both very well deserved. Unfortunately Makkelie once again has missed out.
Delete+1
DeleteHugely deserved for Siebert. Crazy for Fifa to take him over Zwayer to the WC. Also, interesting observation. Scharer 4th with Spanish reserve AR. Does this confirm he could officiate at the WC with the spanish AR that he did PSG v Bayern? I hope so!
ReplyDeleteAs indicated above, PSG's influence is the reason that Makkelie, just as this was also the reason Nasser Al-Khelaïfi was never suspended for his outburst of rage in the referees' dressing room, makes me nauseous.
ReplyDeleteArsenal complained a lot about Makkelie too after the semi.
DeleteSiebert to UCL final is probably the biggest joke in refereeing i have ever seen, really. And i have seen a lot of jokes. I am just so fed up with stupid politics around refereeing.
ReplyDeleteCan I be honest with you?
DeleteIt's been embarrassing and shameful for both UEFA and FIFA to appoint a judge for a final and he won't be at the World Cup.
I see that Rosetti is waiting to see how Zwayer will perform at the World Cup. If he makes a mistake in any game, he'll use Siebert's performance (if he does well in Budapest) to throw it in Collina's face. That's exactly the impression one gets.
I'm sorry, I don't want to pass judgment on anyone, but German refereeing is becoming a laughingstock both for those representing the country in the World Cup and for those who will officiate the Champions League final in Budapest.
DeleteI agree Gref.
DeleteCool to see Porras involved in the final. Although Nevado will feel unlucky as he also missed out working as reserve AR in the 2023 conference final (When Manzano's old AR1 was chosen). Quite interesting that all 5 on-field officials for the CL final won't likely be on field at the WC (unless Scharer gets a game). EL and Conference Final teams not too surprising although Nyberg being the 4th official for the 2nd times in 3 years in the Conference League is quite strange.
ReplyDeleteDaniel Siebert with matches in all KO rounds of Champions League this season, very busy spring, last week was a referee Saudi Arabia Cup final 👏 good for him that totally free summer ahead 😉
ReplyDeleteI am shocked that it became normal for a referee to have the semifinal and the final. Almost nobody seems to disagree with this when in my opinion it is one of the most important rules to follow as a referee manager. It is unacceptable that it became something normal in the recent years when it should have never happen. I would not have any problem with Siebert being in the final if he was previously appointed in the quarter and not semi finals.
ReplyDeleteIts not the first time Marciniak did it
DeleteSo, we can point out that despite Felix Zwayer being selected for the World Cup, the committee stayed to its own thinking. They opted for Daniel Siebert, and once those two teams reached in the final, they really had no alternative but to choose the German referee.
ReplyDeleteI want to say one thing immediately: I could write an extremely long comment about this.
In my opinion, many people failed to understand the real consideration that the committee has for certain officials, continuing to suggest the name of Maurizio Mariani for the Champions League final. How could it ever have been possible? We are talking about a referee who has only relatively recently become Elite, still Elite, of course, and who received some good matches, including games involving Paris Saint-Germain, fair enough. But for a Champions League final, you need a pedigree, referees who already possess a certain stature and level of experience.
Guida should have come before Mariani for a CL final assignment, even Massa, I think with this example you can understand what I mean.
Daniel Siebert has that pedigree. We have to be honest about it, because it is clear to see. He had already taken part in a major UEFA competition while still a Category 1 referee, and therefore his long experience as an Elite referee certainly helped him. There was never really a possibility that they would assign the Champions League final to Mariani or to João Pinheiro, even though initially I had considered the Portuguese referee myself. But it would have made a mistake, I realized that immediately after.
In the end, the referee for this kind of match is different.
DeleteThis is not just any game. It requires someone capable of meeting extremely high standards: a referee with top-level experience, someone accustomed to handling Champions League matches, and the German clearly is, and naturally someone who can receive this honour as recognition for everything achieved up to that point. Despite everything, Siebert fits that profile.
And I say “despite everything” because it is impossible not to mention that Zwayer, who will go to the World Cup, now finds himself in a rather peculiar situation. On one hand, the committee deserves credit for remaining consistent. Zwayer had a poor first half of the season, and therefore it would have been impossible to suddenly appoint him to the Champions League final after having kept him completely out of the picture for so long. So, in that sense, there is coherence.
On the other hand, however, the clear distance between UEFA and FIFA now becomes even more significant. In the end, we can see that they simply did not want to insist on Zwayer, and that too would have been interpreted as a political move. Some people are calling Siebert’s appointment a political choice. I don't fully agree with that. In reality, there is a certain technical pathway behind it.
Of course, there were unusual circumstances: a final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal was probably the one scenario the committee least expected, and it clearly complicated matters. So I would not call Siebert a second choice, but he certainly was not among the very first names at the beginning.
Then there is Roberto Rosetti, whom we know personally went to observe him. Rosetti observations always have a purpose behind them. The German referee also arrives at this final somewhat quietly, if we are being honest, because considering his path and what he had achieved up to now, it was difficult to imagine a further step forward. It still felt as though he needed something more. But again, experience played an enormously important role here, because in the end that is what elevates a referee more than anything else.
The committee believed in him, entrusted him with everything, and ultimately guided him to the biggest achievement possible. And now, naturally, it will be quite peculiar that he will officiate the Champions League final while another German referee goes to the World Cup.
People mentioned the precedent of Terje Hauge, the last referee who officiated a Champions League final without then going to the World Cup shortly after. It had not happened again because, in theory, all referees selected for the World Cup are supposed to represent the very best of the Elite category at that moment. But evidently, in certain respects, that is not necessarily the case.
However, there were surely some forced choices and factors surrounding the appointment for this final. That much is certain.
The idea that Siebert was not initially the leading candidate reflects exactly that situation. Most likely, the first-choice appointment would have been a referee who is also heading to the World Cup. Yet on one hand, this approach can still be appreciated because it gives opportunities to others as well.
DeleteI believe Siebert has gone through criticism and difficult periods, but despite everything he came through them well. In some situations, in my opinion, he was never entirely convincing, but eventually he found a certain balance and moved away somewhat from his very strict, law-enforcer style in order to adapt more. Rosetti appreciated that.
I think Rosetti becomes very attached to his referees. That is something you can clearly notice when observing refereeing careers and trajectories. He can use both the stick and the carrot, he can be uncompromising, but in the end, what he believes you deserve, he gives you. Naturally, you also need to be in the right place at the right moment, because appointments are influenced by external factors as well. But the German referee, considering what he has done, can be described as a relative surprise, though certainly not a complete surprise.
The three referes, ruling out the ones from same nationality of PSG and Arsenal, matching the criteria for getting CL final were: Siebert, Zwayer, and Makkelie. If for Zwayer we have already said, Makkelie could have officiated, but in the end the fact that PSG was there didn't help and maybe a cleaner performance in Madrid would have helped more (nevertheless, I identify PSG issue as the primary one for the Dutch).
To follow, a few words about the other choices.
There is not much to say, however, about François Letexier, who will officiate the Europa League final. He is receiving this sort of intermediate “wild card” while waiting for a future Champions League final.
DeleteI agree with the decision. It is probably better not to give him everything immediately because, having already officiated the European Championship final, giving him a few more years will also keep him motivated. In any case, he fully deserves this Europa League final. His path has been fairly straightforward, even though nobody would ever have imagined going first from a European Championship final to a Europa League final afterward.
Still, it works out well for François Letexier. In my opinion, this season he has not quite reached the absolute perfection, the peak level he showed around the period of the Euros, but that is not a problem. He still enjoys enormous trust, and rightly so.
Maurizio Mariani is a good referee, but from there to painting him as a Champions League final refereem allow me, once again, to say this as an Italian and therefore with the maximum objectivity, there is still a very long way to go.
DeleteIn reality, the Italian referee has been strongly supported in order to take over from Marco Guida and to eventually go to the World Cup. We have to be honest and face reality.
What will happen now? This UEFA Europa Conference League Final could become a starting point where perhaps Guida will retire and Mariani will gradually step into the spotlight. But from there, guys, to officiating a Champions League final without a substantial background, without, for example, a Champions League semifinal in the top competition, it becomes extremely complicated.
That said, he has had a good season. Not a perfect one, because mistakes have certainly been made. The Conference League appointment tells us a lot about the current level of consideration the commission has for him. And, I completely agree with it.
I still remain astonished by the people who were suggesting Mariani for the Champions League final. Really, think carefully about this concept. It would have been an incredible devaluation following this choice: and I say that in the most respectful way possible, because Mariani himself could absolutely reach a Champions League final one day in future.
How can you explain the paradox if he deserve this appointment , why he is not t one of the fiftheen referees from europe officiate wordl cup !!!
DeleteBecause WC selection is made with a certain advance and that's first factor, then the fact that this was a rather forced assignment with many referees out due to nationality. For sure, committee wouldn't have made this one in normal condition, but they were forced to. Then surely one can discuss, but at least they were consistent with previous choices.
DeleteDo you think it’s possible that there will never be a real chance to appoint Makkelie? For years now, for no apparent reason, referees with less talent and experience than him have been chosen for this match; I'm starting to think the Dutchman can’t get it for reasons we don’t know. Among these reasons is not (only?) PSG; otherwise, why not give Letexier a semifinal as well and take a chance on Scharer and Pinheiro, in case the French team in the final prevented him from getting the final? In my opinion, the committee knew that, regardless of everything, Makkelie wouldn’t get the most important match and gave him yet another semifinal as “compensation.” The strange treatment Makkelie received during EURO 2020 (excellent performance in Italy-Croatia--->Dutch referee sent home) seems to me to be confirmation of this
DeleteP.S. I agree that Mariani doesn't deserve the CL final, but would that have been a more shocking choice than Letexier at Euro 2020?
What do you mean the three referees ruling out the ones nationality same psg and arsenal
ReplyDeleteI mean: the three referees matching the criteria for officiating CL final (important pedigree, rather medium-long experience as Elite and another major tournament attended before) were only three: Makkelie, Siebert and Zwayer.
Delete"Ruling out the ones with same nationalityof PSG and Arsenal": Oliver and Letexier (other candidates who couldn't officiate it)
Was not before the committee other choices like joao pinheiro or even mariani
DeleteWell now that we have the appointments one must say he’s not surprised about them, of course due to how inept this so called committee is.
ReplyDeleteTo commence I have to say that Siebert has been in the back of my mind ever since he officiated Denmark V Scotland quite a while ago, of course we all must recall that he stuck with his correct original decision after an OFR. Then Chelsea V Benfica at Stamford Bridge and I could go on and on and on as he’s been immense, but I have to say I believed he would only get the Confrence league, oh how wrong I was tho.
Moving on to Letexier, no words a thoroughly deserved appointment, he proved himself in that final in Germany and hasn’t looked back since. It’s good that he hasn’t been handed the UCL final at such a young age as he would have nothing to look forward to in what promises to be a stellar career.
Finally Mariani, a very undeserved appointment, and I have to say what we all think. He’s been appointed because of his nationality and the nationality of the so called committee chairman! The same person who has denied Makkelie another time! I wonder how many more in the future, if he’s not already gone by then!
Also,Siebert's rise is somehow poetic and reminds of Marciniak's WC 2022 when he deserved The Final match,same can be said about Siebert and his 25/26 CL campaign..
ReplyDeleteWe can remember 2022 and his dark moments and matches, whether it was Atletico and City and that whole Savic and Felipe fiasco or Uruguay and Ghana and whole no penalty call controversy with Cavani smashing VAR monitor.
The way he bounced back and regained trust is great,I can only remember last match where he did not have his own by the book style.
But looks like with bigger picture in his mind,he didn't want to be the main guy with being candidate for Final.
His by the books style is one of the better ones and only Meler and Kovacs(when he is true to himself)are applying that type of style that we all can appreciate.
Looks like UEFA also appreciates him,but also key factor was the fact that Oliver and Letexier were not available for The Final.
Still,bravo Siebert.
Well,with full agreement what Chefren said, I see some posts about relation of Uefa-Fifa. Look, different organization,different philosophy. Lets imagine next situation! If I m Collina, and I select on example: Spanish referee for world cup,and If I have that that Spanish referee officiate Cl Final(Hdz) im I obligated to take him. No, maybe I like performances of Arbeloa Rojas,and I take him. So thats main point of differnce between organizations.
ReplyDeleteIntresting points Chefren. But don‘t you think that UEFA themselves may have „given up“ a little bit on Siebert initially themselves? I mean it‘s not like he was UEFAs clear number one in Germany. At the Euros 2024 it was Zwayer who was clearly prefered by UEFA. Even in the last couple of years in the UCL it was more so Zwayer who was ahead in the pecking order. In my opinion UEFA plays a big part in Siebert not being one of the selected WC referees. They have kind of brought this situation on themselves.
ReplyDeleteTo me, it‘s a deserved appointment! Hopefully Siebert will become one of the more trusted Elite referees along with Turpin, Vincic, Marciniak etc.
Vladimir Sajn is observing Siebert.
ReplyDeleteReferees who officiated the European Champion Clubs’ Cup / UEFA Champions League final and were not appointed to the FIFA World Cup in that same year:
ReplyDeleteAlbert Alsteen (BEL) - 1956
Concetto Lo Bello (ITA) - 1970
Alfred Delcourt (BEL) - 1974 (2 Leg's UCL Final)
Georges Konrath (FRA) - 1982
Michel Vautrot (FRA) - 1986
Hellmut Krug (GER) - 1998
Terje Hauge (NOR) - 2006
Daniel Siebert (GER) - 2026
I can’t believe Siebert is going to referee the Champions League final after his questionable performance in London. Atlético fans can’t believe this appointment either. I’m not surprised considering UEFA’s standards, but I think there were much better candidates than the German referee. Anyway, it almost makes you lose the desire to even comment on it
ReplyDeleteSiebert can lose control of the match in high-pressure atmospheres... He delivered an poor performance and looked completely dazed during the Fenerbahçe - Benfica CL playoff match this year
ReplyDeleteI remember this game in Istanbul. Siebert disrupted the pace of the match in such a way that the game became slow to move.
DeleteI respect those who defend his selection for Budapest, but for me, this appointment doesn't make me so thrilled. Primarily because PSG is a highly intense team.
Any info on referee team for tomorrows big game
ReplyDeleteAl Nassr- Al Hilal? 19.00
Winner here wins the league 99 %
Brisard voted as best ligue 1 referee this season.. congrats
DeleteWow!
Delete@Nezazzuri Don't really know how this award is given but i don't think he is the best in ligue 1, i will put Bastien in front of him and then of course you can say Turpin or Letexier but more difficult games so more controversies in their game is probably why they are not winning it.
DeleteAnd also FFF is now clearly pushing the last couple of years in favor of Brisard for potentialy starting to get more european games so they probably prefer to give it to someone who need more light than Letexier or Turpin that everybody knows.
DeleteHaven’t watched much of Ligue 1, but it’s true that Turpin and Letexier were more involved into controversies and as you said, had most of the big games as well as Bastien.
Delete