Former top English referee Mark Klattemberg wrote in The Daily Mail that UEFA’s decision to select French referee François Rétizel to officiate the upcoming Euro final has surprised the refereeing community, including the French refereeing world, as he is not considered among the elite in his own country.
Clairement Turpin, regarded as the leading light in French refereeing, missed out on the opportunity despite having previous experience in officiating Europa League and Champions League finals.
Klattemberg suggests that Turpin’s omission might be linked to some mistakes he made during Scotland vs. Germany, the opening match of Euro. English and Spanish referees were ruled out due to obvious conflicts of interest, while Italian referee Daniele Orsato, nearing retirement, was not chosen as UEFA feared his emotional state could impact the impartiality of his decisions in the final.
Furthermore, rumors linking Polish referee Szymon Marciniak with a Saudi club, coupled with his performance in the Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid Champions League semi-final, which dented his image among the Germans, contributed to him not being selected for the final.
After considering all candidates, Rétizel was chosen as the man for the job. This 35-year-old French referee will have a defining moment in his career at the Euro final, despite his most significant prior experience being limited to officiating the 2023 European Super Cup between Manchester City and Sevilla. For him, this final will undoubtedly be a massive test, bearing unprecedented pressure.
If critical decisions need to be made in the final, it will likely reignite controversy, similar to the penalty incident in England vs. Netherlands. Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, and other notable pundits raised questions about Rétizel’s competence. However, Klattemberg believes that on the international stage, refereeing decisions must adhere to FIFA rules and spirit. Dumfries’ studs-up challenge on Kane, which led to a decisive penalty awarded by the referee, received backing from UEFA, demonstrating a zero-tolerance stance against such dangerous play, regardless of where it occurs.