Kovács leads referee team for 2024 UEFA Europa League final

UEFA, on Monday, announced the refereeing team for the 2024 UEFA Europa League final.

National Daily correspondent retrieved this in a statement from the UEFA Europa website, noted that István Kovács from Romania will serve as the referee.

His assistants will be Vasile Florin Marinescu and Mihai Ovidiu Artene, also from Romania, as his assistants.

The Romanian official is relishing the opportunity to referee his second UEFA club final in three years.

As we anticipate a scintillating UEFA Europa League final between Atalanta and Leverkusen, there is one man who will be closer than the rest of us to the action – referee István Kovács.

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The statement added that the fourth official will be Ivan Kružliak from Slovakia, supported by reserve assistant Branislav Hancko, also from Slovakia.

The VAR team includes Pol van Boekel from the Netherlands as the main VAR, assisted by Catalin Popa from Romania and Rob Dieperink from the Netherlands for VAR support.

“Kovács’ appointment comes at the end of another impressive campaign for the Romanian official and represents the third consecutive season he has been on duty at a UEFA club final.

“He took charge of the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League showpiece in Tirana in 2022 and was fourth official at the UEFA Champions League decider in Istanbul last June. Such experiences stand him in good stead for what awaits on Wednesday night in Dublin,” it read.

“This will be my second UEFA final as a referee, and it really is a dream come true,” says the 39-year-old. “To have refereed the Europa Conference League final in 2022 is of course helpful for this occasion.

“I still remember the feelings and the experience from that night, but I still need to work and prepare well for the match to make sure everything goes well on the night. It’s a big responsibility to be appointed for this match and I want to prove I am ready for this challenge.”

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Kovács is used to the big stage and is also preparing to officiate at his second UEFA European Championship this summer, but there is still a sense of pride in handling such high-profile matches.

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“I like the adrenaline when I am on the field; it is one of the best things about being a referee,” he explains. “If I make good decisions during the game, I am proving to myself that I can handle these big matches.”

Wednesday night’s showpiece in front of 50,000 fans will be a far cry from Kovács’ first-ever game as a referee when he was just 14 years old, and it is the perfect time to reflect on 25 years in the role.

“I love football. For me, being a referee is the most beautiful job in the world and I recommend that youngsters come and embrace this opportunity,” he says. “During my career, I have made a lot of connections, built good relationships with my colleagues and have enjoyed visiting many different countries through my work.”