Romanian refereeing team set for next week’s Europa League Final in Dublin

Referee István Kovács, centre, took charge of the UEFA Conference League Final 2021/22 between AS Roma and Feyenoord at Arena Kombëtare on May 25, 2022 in Tirana, Albania. He will officiate this month’s Europa League Final in Dublin.

Referee István Kovács, centre, took charge of the UEFA Conference League Final 2021/22 between AS Roma and Feyenoord at Arena Kombëtare on May 25, 2022 in Tirana, Albania. He will officiate this month’s Europa League Final in Dublin. Credit: Photo by Stephen McCarthy - UEFA/UEFA via Sportsfile

UEFA’s referees committee have confirmed that Istvan Kovacs will be the referee for next week’s Europa League Final in Dublin between Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen.

He has experience of working in Dublin before having been the fourth official for the St. Patrick’s Athletic and Karpaty Lviv tie played in Tallaght Stadium in August 2011.

Kovacs has been an international referee since 2010, with the 39-year-old Romanian taking charge of eight UEFA Champions League matches and one UEFA Europa League match this season.

This will be his second European club competition final as a referee after having officiated AS Roma against Feyenoord in Tirana in last year's Europa Conference League Final.

He will be assisted in Lansdowne Road by fellow Romanian officials Vasile Florin Marinescu and Mihai Ovidiu Artene who will run the line. The fourth official and reserve assistant referee are both from Slovakia - Ivan Kruzliak and Branislav Hancko.

VAR will be used for the final with Pol van Boekel from the Netherlands the lead VAR official.