The DFB team receives a contentious referee.
Clement Turpin serves as the referee for the German Euro 2024 opener. A France native, Turpin has a history of being argumentative, which has left some national players with mixed feelings. However, there's positive news for the German team regarding this officiator.
Thomas Muller expressed remorse for his actions during a match against Nicolas Tagliafico. He delivered a kick that caused a bleeding head wound, but insisted it was unintentional. Despite this, Turpin had no other option but to send Muller off the pitch due to the offense.
Muller has been sent off only once before in all his 868 professional games, a yellow-red card incident in 2018 at Ajax Amsterdam. On the brighter side, he's looking forward to working with Turpin at the Euro 2024 opening game of Germany against Scotland on Friday, 9 p.m. (ZDF and MagentaTV, and live updates via ntv.de). Turpin's history with Muller's Bayern as well as the German national team is impressive, with no defeat ever experienced under his supervision.
In fact, Bayern has won five out of the nine games overseen by Turpin, while Germany has triumphed in three out of their four matches. Turpin is one of Europe's most experienced referees, as he's been officiating at prominent tournaments since Euro 2016. Back then, he managed the 1:0 victory by the German team in their final group match against Northern Ireland. The goal was scored by Mario Gomez, and Müller provided the assist.
UEFA's referee chief, Roberto Rosetti, confirms that Turpin is an excellent choice for the Euro 2024 opener, emphasizing the importance of the referees' quality. "He has had a good season. We are sure that he is the right match official for the opening game," Rosetti stated.
Turpin was in charge of the Europa League final in 2021, following up with the Champions League the following year. Additionally, a contentious incident involving Bayern arose in the 1:1 tie with Manchester City during the Champions League quarter-finals in 2023, resulting in some intense debates about Turpin's role.
The "theatrics" of the referee were criticized by English TV expert Rio Ferdinand, who complained, "He wants it to be more about him than the game." Muller, whose team also faced consequences, only scored 6 out of 10 regarding Turpin's performance, while Muller himself added that Turpin's decisions were "very noticeable" on the field.
