Champions League final referee: who is he, where is he from, record, what to know about Slavko Vincic

Slovenian Slavko Vincic won the assignment to referee this season’s UEFA Champions League final, in which Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid will compete for the European top prize at Wembley Stadium on June 1.

Vincic, 44, will take charge of the match two years after refereeing the 2022 Europa League final in Seville, when Eintracht Frankfurt defeated Rangers on penalties following a 1-1 draw. He boasts a mediocre record when it comes to bookings and penalties this season, including games he officiated in several European competitions and in his native Slovenia.

Vincic will be assisted by several other officials from Slovenia, as well as referees from France and Italy.

Here’s what you need to know about the referees in charge of the 2024 Champions League final.

Who are the referees?

Vincic will serve as first official, while compatriots Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic will serve as his assistants. Frenchman Francois Letexier will be the fourth official and Cyril Mugnier, another Frenchman, will be the reserve assistant referee.

Another Slovenian in Nejc Kajtazoovic will be the video assistant referee for the final and compatriot Rade Oblenovic will be the assistant. Italian Massimiliano Irrati was given the responsibility of being the VAR support.

What is the record of the first official?

Vincic has refereed 23 games in the Slovenian league and in Europe this season, handing out 91 yellow cards, one red card and two penalties. The vast majority of those yellow cards came in Slovenian Prva Liga, which handed out 55 bookings in 13 matches this season. Both penalties he awarded this season also came in the Slovenian top flight.

He was appointed for five Champions League matches this season and handed out 19 yellow cards. Vincic has already refereed two knockout games: Bayern Munich’s 3-0 win over Lazio in the second leg of the round of 16, when three Lazio players were shown yellow cards, and Dortmund’s 4-2 win over Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the round of 16. quarter-finals, when he also handed out three yellow cards.

What happened in the last final where the first official took charge?

Vincic took charge of the 2022 Europa League final, which Frankfurt won on penalties against Rangers. That match was thankfully more about the players than the referee, as Vincic only handed out two yellow cards to Rangers players and the only penalties to talk about were the shootout.