Identified referee for the upcoming Champions League final.
Ready for the lowdown on the refs for this year's Champions League final? Let's dive in!
It's the main event of club football, and nobody wants a shoddy officiating performance ruining the show. A bit of VAR drama? Sure, as long as it doesn't spoil the party. So, who's in charge of officiating the grand dance this year?
István Kovács, the Romanian whistle-blower, will be the man running the show on the night of the final. He's already had some notable performances under his belt, including one game at Euro 2020 and Manchester City's pulsating 4-3 Champions League semi-final win over Real Madrid in 2023.
He was also the ref for the initial Europa Conference League final between Roma and Feyenoord, a match that Roma won 1-0. Interestingly, he was fourth official for Inter Milan's last Champions League final in 2023 and oversaw the Europa League final the year prior, where Atalanta beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0.
Now, for the assistants: Mihai Marica and Ferencz Tunyog, both fellow Romanians, will be helping Kovács keep things under control on the sidelines. Joao Pinheiro from Portugal will be the fourth official, ready to hop in when needed.
When it comes to VAR, Dennis Higler from the Netherlands steps up to the plate. Romanian Catalin Popa and Dutchman Pol van Boekel are his able assistants, ready to lend a hand if VAR drama unfolds.
So there you have it, the gang of officials who'll be calling the shots at this year's Champions League final! Stay tuned for more updates and don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for football news and quizzes!
The chosen officials for the Champions League final consist of István Kovács, who will be the main referee, Mihai Marica and Ferencz Tunyog as assistant referees, and Joao Pinheiro as the fourth official. Dennis Higler from the Netherlands will oversee the VAR system, with Catalin Popa and Pol van Boekel assisting him.
