Good omen for Bayern? He whistles the cup final against Stuttgart | OneFootball

The DFB has officially announced the referee for the cup final between FC Bayern and VfB Stuttgart, with Sven Jablonski facing a double premiere

It is now official who will referee the big cup final between FC Bayern and VfB Stuttgart on 23 May in Berlin. The German Football Association has nominated FIFA referee Sven Jablonski for the final in the Olympic Stadium

It is a very special assignment for the 36-year-old: despite numerous matches in the Bundesliga, Bundesliga 2 and DFB Cup, this will be Jablonski’s first time refereeing a cup final

„This is an absolute highlight and a huge responsibility,“ explained the Bremen-born referee after his official appointment

According to the DFB, Jablonski received the news personally from head referee Knut Kircher, and the referee spoke afterwards of his „enormous joy“

Bayern with a strong record under Jablonski

FC Bayern are likely to take the appointment very positively, as Jablonski has refereed 13 games in the Bundesliga so far – with the record champions remaining unbeaten

Bayern have nine wins and four draws to their name. The FIFA referee has also refereed an FC Bayern match in the DFB Cup. In the 2024/25 season, he took charge of the first round match against SSV Ulm, which the Munich side won 4-0

VfB Stuttgart have also already gained experience in the cup under Jablonski. Last season, he was in charge of the semi-final against RB Leipzig, which the Swabians won 3:1. Stuttgart then went on to win the cup against Arminia Bielefeld

Overall, however, VfB’s Bundesliga record under Jablonski is more balanced: four wins, three draws and four defeats

Interestingly, Jablonski has never refereed a head-to-head clash between FC Bayern and Stuttgart, which is another reason why the cup final will be another first for him

VAR is sitting right in Berlin this time

The organization of the VAR will also be new at the final: unlike usual, the video assistant will not be based in Cologne, but directly in Berlin

„It doesn’t matter to the TV viewer, but it’s something special for us because we’ll be together as a team all day,“ explained Jablonski

In the current Bundesliga season, the referee is one of the most frequently used referees anyway. Together with Felix Zwayer, he currently has 17 appearances in the top flight.