Daniel Siebert, who recently officiated Atlético Madrid, has been chosen as the referee for the Champions League final. The 42-year-old German will take charge of the clash between reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal on May 30 in Budapest. This will be his first European final. He will be assisted by Jan Seidel and Rafael Foltyn, with Bastian Dankert and Robert Schröder serving as video assistants.
So far, only four German referees have officiated a Champions League final: Hellmut Krug (1998), Markus Merk (2003), Herbert Fandel (2007), and Felix Brych (2017).
“This is a tremendous honor for Daniel. The most important match in European club football – what a moment for him and for German refereeing,” said Knut Kircher, head of German referees. “Through his consistent high-level performances on the international stage, he and his team have earned this great opportunity. UEFA’s decision is also a recognition of the quality of top German referees.”
Siebert clearly enjoys UEFA’s trust. He recently officiated the second leg of the semifinal between Arsenal and Atlético Madrid (1-0), a match that sparked controversy after he did not award a penalty for a foul on Griezmann inside the box. In total, he has been involved in nine UEFA Champions League matches this season. However, FIFA did not include him in the list of referees for the next World Cup finals.
Several Spanish officials also received assignments: Del Cerro Grande will serve as VAR support, Guadalupe Porras as reserve referee, and Hernández Hernández as fourth official for the Europa League final.