UEFA names Kuipers as Champions League final referee
European football governing body, UEFA, has named Dutch referee, Björn Kuipers to take charge of the UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid CF and Club Atlético de Madrid, slated for May 24.
According to UEFA’s official website, Kuipers will become the fourth Dutchman to referee the European Cup show piece.
Kuipers has overseen 68 matches in UEFA competition, including four in this season’s UEFA Champions League and three in the UEFA Europa League.
Kuipers was in charge of the 2011 UEFA Super Cup in which Chelsea FC’s won against SL Benfica in last season’s UEFA Europa League final at the Amsterdam Arena.
He becomes the fourth Dutch official to take charge of a European Cup final after Leo Horn (1957, 1962), Charles Corver (1978) and Dick Jol (2001).
Kuipers will be assisted in Lisbon by fellow countrymen Sander van Roekel and Erwin Zeinstra.
The fourth official will be Turkey’s Cüneyt Çakır, and the two additional assistant referees, Pol van Boekel and Richard Liesveld, are also from the Netherlands.
A Dutch reserve assistant referee – Angelo Boonman – completes the lineup of the refereeing team.
Many had thought that English referee Howard Webb would be in charge of the final.
By Agency Report
