Referee for the EM finale confirmed
Francois Letexier is the Referee for the Upcoming EURO Final: The French Referees' Rise to Fame.
Francois Letexier, a 35-year-old French referee, has become an internet sensation since April 9th. This was due to the spectacular Viertelfinal-leg of the Champions League between Real Madrid and Manchester City (3:3), where Manchester City's star striker Erling Haaland accidentally received a slap from the French referee Letexier.
Originally, Letexier just wanted to signal a decision to the agitated Spanish player Dani Carvajal, who was approaching from behind, but Haaland, in passing, accidentally hit the referee in the face with his arm - and looked quite surprised from the water bottle.
Letexier will have another chance to discuss this incident with Carvajal on Sunday. The French referee will officiate the EURO Final football match between Spain and England (21:00/ARD and MagentaTV as well as in the ntv.de-Live Ticker). The unexpected scheduling for the final at the Berlin Olympic Stadium was announced by the UEFA Referee Committee.
Three EURO Matches Already
Letexier has been in action at the ongoing EURO three times, having refereed Spain's victory against Georgia in the Achtelfinals (4:1). He also officiated the matches between Croatia and Albania (2:2) and Serbia and Denmark (0:0) in the group stages.
Letexier's assistants in Berlin will be his two fellow countrymen Cyril Mugnier and Mehdi Rahmouni. The fourth official is Szymon Marciniak from Poland, who was the WM final referee in 2022. If the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is required, Jerome Brisard from France will be in charge, with his compatriot Willy Delajod and the Italian Massimiliano Irrati assisting him.
First Tournament, Straight to the Final
Apart from the Real vs Manchester game, Letexier officiated in nine other European Cup matches last season. He was the fourth official at the London Wembley Stadium final, where Madrid won against Borussia Dortmund (2:0). He also refereed the Coupe de France final at the end of May. In the previous season, he made 15 appearances in the French Ligue 1 and was appointed as the referee five times in the Champions League.
Born in Brittany, Letexier has been officially recognized as the starting referee in the European refereeing scene following his appointment for the Berlin final. The EURO is his first major tournament - he makes it directly to the final. Letexier made his Ligue 1 debut in January 2016, and since 2017, he has been refereeing on an international stage. He has been part of the UEFA Elite Class since two and a half years.
Letexier's career highlights until now were refereeing the European Super Cup last year, which City won against Sevilla in a penalty shootout. However, this will change on Sunday - hopefully without any earrings.
The European Football Championship 2024 will be the first major tournament for French referee Francois Letexier, who has been appointed as the referee for the EURO Final. Despite the incident involving Manchester City's Erling Haaland in the Champions League, Letexier remains focused and will oversee the EURO Final football match between Spain and England.
