Briefly in custody! The wild story of the World Cup final ref | OneFootball

Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić will officiate the decisive match between Argentina and Spain at this World Cup. FIFA announced this yesterday and shared a video showing how emotional the referee reacted to the decision. 

FIFA has chosen an experienced official. The Slovenian has been a FIFA referee since 2010 and knows the pressure of the big stage. 

He refereed, among other matches, the 2024 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. Last season in Europe’s top competition, he also took charge of the second-leg quarter-final between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. There, he drew attention by sending off Eduardo Camavinga for time-wasting after showing him a second yellow card within just eight minutes. A decision that sparked controversy in Spain. 

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At this World Cup, he has already officiated three matches, although there has been no controversy surrounding his decisions. Ahead of the final, however, another story besides his sporting performances was also reported. 

In May 2020, Bosnian police carried out an operation to break up a criminal network suspected of drug and weapons trafficking, as well as pimping. According to reports, including one by 'L'Equipe', he was arrested along with 35 other people during a raid on a cabin in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Cocaine, weapons and a large amount of money were also seized.

Vinčić, who was taken into custody and questioned as a witness, was ultimately cleared. He was able to credibly testify that he had no connection to those involved and had simply followed an invitation. Investigators later found no evidence linking him to the criminal organization, and he was released without charge.

The Slovenian Football Association publicly supported his account and stressed that his presence was merely an unfortunate coincidence — being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

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