As teams are gearing up for the final of various UEFA Cup Competitions, so are referees preparing for the epic occasion.
From the UEFA Champions League to the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League, the men with the whistle who would take charge of proceedings for the final have been made known.
Szymon Marciniak – UEFA Champions League final
Polish referee Szymon Marciniak would take charge of the UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan.
He officiated the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and definitely you can tell that he is a perfect fit for the final based on his pedigree.
Szymon Marciniak was named “The World’s Best Referee” by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).
He was also the center-referee when Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid faced off in the 2018 UEFA Super Cup.
The Polish referee has two children with wife Magdalena, a son Bartosz who was born in 2003 and a daughter Natalia born in 2012.
In 2021, it was estimated that he has issued 1212 yellow cards which is an average of four yellow cards per match.
Additionally, he has handed 79 red cards and awarded 131 penalty kicks in over 300 Ekstraklasa matches he has officiated.
Cheryl Foster – UEFA Women’s Champions League final
For the UEFA Women’s Champions League final, Cheryl Foster who hails from Wales has been given the responsibility of officiating the final between Barcelona and Wolfsburg.
She is a former professional footballer who represented several teams notably; Bangor City, Liverpool, St Francis and Doncaster Rovers Belles.
She is the all-time record appearance holder for the Wales women’s national football team.
In December 2015, during her third campaign as a referee, She was named on the FIFA International list.
On the 18th of August 2018, she became the first female referee to be in charge of the whistle in a Welsh Premier League encounter.
She is a Liverpool supporter and also a Physical Education teacher at Bishops Blue Coat Church of England High school.
In the last 12 months, Cheryl Foster has officiated 20 matches, including 9 Women’s Super League games, 4 Welsh Premier League matches and 1 Women’s FA Cup encounter.
Additionally, She has officiated 3 Women’s Champions League games and 3 Women’s European Championship matches.
Anthony Taylor – UEFA Europa League
Popular English referee Anthony Taylor has been saddled with the responsibility of officiating the UEFA Europa League final between AS Roma and Sevilla.
Anthony Taylor has officiated a lot of high profile matches including the 2020 UEFA Super Cup, 2021 UEFA Nations League Final and the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup.
He officiates in the top-flight of English football and he has been a referee since 2002.
Anthony has given 2074 yellow cards and 117 red cards so far in his career.
He has not revealed much information about his personal life.
Carlos Del Cerro Grande – UEFA Europa Conference League
Spanish referee Carlos Del Cerro Grande would be the center-referee in the final of the Conference League when West Ham United battle Fiorentina.
He has been a referee since the year 2000 and the Spaniard currently officiates in the Spanish La Liga.
Carlos Del Cerro Grande first officiated in a major international finals match when he officiated the group encounter of Euro 2020 between France and Germany.
The Spanish La Liga referee faced heavy bashing for not calling a foul against Germany in their 18-yard box.
He has given out 2268 Yellow cards and 147 Red cards so far in his career as a referee.
