As the highly anticipated 2024 UEFA European Championship final between Spain and England approaches, former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has expressed significant concerns over the appointment of the match official. The decision to assign French referee Francois Letexier to the final has sparked widespread debate and surprise within the refereeing community.
Clattenburg’s Concerns
Clattenburg has voiced his apprehensions regarding Francois Letexier’s selection for the final. Letexier has officiated three matches in the tournament, overseeing Croatia’s draw with Albania, Denmark’s draw with Serbia, and Spain’s 4-1 victory over Georgia. Despite this experience, he is not considered the top referee in France. Instead, that title belongs to Clement Turpin.
Turpin’s Missed Opportunity
Clement Turpin, widely regarded as France’s premier referee, also officiated at the tournament. However, Clattenburg believes Turpin was overlooked for the final due to his mistakes during the Euro 2024 opener between Scotland and Germany. Turpin also refereed England’s draw with Slovenia and the Netherlands’ win over Turkey, issuing two red cards across these three matches.
Other Contenders
Besides Turpin, Italian referee Daniele Orsato was also considered a top candidate. Clattenburg suggests that Orsato’s impending retirement hindered his ability to concentrate fully on such a significant match.
Clattenburg wrote in the Daily Mail: “UEFA’s choice of Francois Letexier for Sunday’s final will come as a big surprise to a fair few in the refereeing world, including in France, where he is not even seen as their top official. That is Clement Turpin, who, unlike Letexier, has the finals of the Europa League and Champions League listed on his C.V. My hunch is Turpin was overlooked for this one because of the mistakes he made in the Euro 2024 opener between Scotland and Germany.”
“You cannot give it to an Englishman or a Spaniard for obvious reasons. Daniele Orsato of Italy is retiring after these Euros, so it would have been an emotional match for him to try to focus on refereeing fairly.”
The Challenge for Letexier
Francois Letexier, a 35-year-old referee making his debut in an international tournament, now faces the immense challenge of overseeing the most critical match of his career. Although his performance at Euro 2024 has been commendable, with minimal controversy, the final will be a significant step up in pressure and responsibility. The most notable match he has refereed up to this point was the 2023 UEFA Super Cup between Manchester City and Sevilla.
England’s Historic Opportunity
England is aiming to win its first major trophy in 58 years when it faces Spain on Sunday. The choice of referee adds a layer of intrigue and anticipation to what promises to be an exciting and closely contested final.
As the footballing world watches with bated breath, all eyes will be on Letexier to see if he can rise to the occasion and manage the match with the fairness and competence required at this highest level of the sport.
