Slavko Vincic, a seasoned referee, will officiate the highly anticipated Champions League showdown between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
At 44 years old, Vincic brings a wealth of experience to this match, marking his return to the tournament since refereeing last season’s final.
In June, Vincic became the second Slovenian to oversee a Champions League final, officiating Real Madrid’s 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
Reflecting on the honor, Vincic admitted to UEFA.com, “When I started refereeing, I never imagined reaching the Champions League final. It’s truly a remarkable achievement.”
Having debuted as a Champions League referee in 2016—nine years after starting his top-flight domestic career—Vincic has since officiated 31 matches in Europe’s premier club competition, including nine knockout-stage games.
In addition, he took charge of the 2022 Europa League final, where Eintracht Frankfurt defeated Rangers on penalties.
Vincic has previously officiated games involving both PSG and Arsenal. He oversaw PSG’s 3-0 group-stage victory over AC Milan in the last Champions League season and Arsenal’s goalless draw against Villarreal in the 2020/21 Europa League semi-finals.
Across these matches, he issued an average of 3.5 yellow cards, without showing any red cards.
Throughout his eight-year Champions League career, Vincic has maintained an average of just over four yellow cards per game and has only sent off three players.
Vincic has also made a name for himself on the international stage, having refereed at Euro 2020, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and Euro 2024. This past summer, he officiated Spain’s 2-1 semi-final win over France.
In 2020, Vincic made headlines for his involvement in an off-field incident when he was arrested in Bosnia and Herzegovina on suspicion of links to a prostitution, drug, and illegal firearms operation.
However, he was released without charge and cleared of any wrongdoing.
For the Arsenal vs. PSG clash at the Emirates Stadium, which kicks off at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT, U.S. viewers can tune in via Paramount+ and ViX.
Vincic will lead a predominantly Slovenian team of officials, with Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic as assistant referees, and Rade Obrenovic as the fourth official.
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will be Nejc Kajtazovic, while Tomasz Kwiatkowski of Poland will serve as the assistant VAR.
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