UEFA has selected two Dutch referees for the European Championship next summer. Björn Kuipers and Danny Makkelie, the two highest ranked referees in the Netherlands, will both lead matches in the European final round. A female official has also been appointed for the European Championship for the first time: Stéphanie Frappart will be the fourth official.
For Makkelie, the European Championship will be his first major final tournament as a referee. He has never whistled at a European or World Cup before, but has experience in the Nations League. Kuipers already whistled at the European Championships of 2012 and 2016, the World Cups of 2014 and 2018 and also the Confederations Cup of 2013 and 2017. The 2018 World Cup was actually supposed to be the last major tournament for the 47-year-old Kuipers, but UEFA asked him if he wanted to keep going.
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UEFA has also entered into an agreement with the South American association CONMEBOL on an exchange project. As a result, a South American official is present at the European Championship for the first time: the Argentinian Fernando Rapallini will be part of a referee team, but not as the head referee. A Spanish referee team led by Jesús Gil Manzano will be sent to the 2021 Copa América in Argentina and Colombia.
Each referee team consists of an arbitrator, two assistants, a fourth official, a reserve referee and four video referees. Both Kuipers and Makkelie will be assisted at the European Championship by their permanent assistants Sander van Roekel and Erwin Zeinstra (Team Kuipers) and Hessel Steegstra and Jan de Vries (Team Makkelie). Kevin Blom and Pol van Boekel are active as video referees at the European Championship.
“The European Championship 2020 would be my last final tournament, when it was postponed last year”, Kuipers responds on the KNVB website. “I had to think about going on for another year to whistle at that European Championship. I am glad I did, also for my fantastic assistants. We are determined to make it a great European Championship.” Makkelie speaks of a ‘boy’s dream’ come true. “I started whistling when I was ten, it is great that I can achieve this then. Joy and pride dominate, also for my team. Last year we led the final of the Europa League, this year whistling this year. we at the World Cup for club teams. It is wonderful that we receive this appreciation for our achievements. “
All referees at the European Championship:
Felix Brych (Germany)
Cüneyt Çakir (Turkey)
Carlos Del Cerro Grande (Spain)
Andreas Ekberg (Sweden)
Orel Grinfeeld (Israel)
Ovidiu Alin Hategan (Romania)
Sergei Karasev (Russia)
Istvan Kovacs (Romania)
Bjorn Kuipers (The Netherlands)
Danny Makkelie (The Netherlands)
Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz (Spain)
Michael Oliver (England)
Daniele Orsato (Italy)
Artur Manuel Ribeiro Soares Dias (Portugal)
Daniel Siebert (Germany)
Anthony Taylor (England)
Clément Turpin (France)
Slavko Vincic (Slovenia)