Who is the Champions League final referee? Arsenal get familiar face for PSG showdown | OneFootball

A lucky omen for Arsenal, perhaps, ahead of second-ever Champions League final appearance

The Gunners face the holders in European club football's biggest fixture this weekend in Budapest, Hungary, seeking to win the Champions League for the first time in their history.

This will be just Arsenal’s second-ever appearance in a Champions League final, the previous coming 20 years ago when they lost in dramatic fashion to Barcelona.

That match, ironically in Paris, was not without controversy as Jens Lehmann was sent-off in the first-half, leaving the Gunners with a huge mountain to climb up against the likes of Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o and Ludovic Giuly.

Despite taking the lead shortly before half-time through Sol Campbell’s header, Arsene Wenger’s side could not hold on and were ultimately undone by late goals from Eto’o and Juliano Belletti.

Arsenal will hope to not suffer a similar fate on Saturday and a familiar face in Siebert will be in the middle when they attempt to complete an historic Premier League and Champions League double.

It has been announced that German referee will take charge of the showpiece. His assistants will be Jan Seidel and Rafael Foltyn, with Swiss fourth official Sandro Scharer on the touchline.

Meanwhile, the two VAR officials will be German duo Bastian Dankert and Robert Schroder.

The 42-year-old is no stranger to the big occasion, he refereed two games at Euro 2024 and three at Euro 2020 but this will be his first UEFA competition final.

Daniel Siebert has officiated two Arsenal matches in the Champions League this season

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Siebert’s appointment might just be a good omen for Arsenal as they have won all three previous games in which the German has overseen. This includes the Champions League semi-final second leg win over Atletico Madrid and the quarter-final first leg victory in Lisbon.

That said, PSG boast an equally impressive record of three wins from four matches with Siebert as referee.

Though, the Parisians were held to a goalless draw by Athletic Club in the league phase earlier in the season and that is the only PSG fixture Siebert has officiated during this Champions League campaign.