Who is François Letexier, referee for Liverpool vs Real Madrid in Champions League?

French referee François Letexier, 35, is set to officiate the Champions League match between Liverpool and Real Madrid at Anfield this Wednesday. This marks the fourth time Letexier will oversee a Game involving Los Blancos in Europe’s premier club comPetition.

Meet François Letexier

Born on April 23, 1989, in Bédée, France, Letexier began his refereeing career in Ligue 1 in 2016, debuting in a match between Montpellier and Caen. By 2017, he had earned his place on FIFA’s list of international referees. His first senior international assignment came in March 2018, officiating a friendly between Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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Letexier has a History of managing significant fixtures. He took charge of the 2021 Coupe de France final between Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain and served as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for the 2021 UEFA Europa League final between Villarreal and Manchester United. In August 2023, he officiated the UEFA Super Cup clash between Manchester City and Sevilla.

As already mentioned, this clash at Anfield will be his fourth involving Madrid in the Champions League. Notably, he oversaw the thrilling 3-3 draw against Manchester City in the first leg of the 2024 quarter-finals (where he inadvertently made headlines by accidentally striking Erling Haaland in the face while gesturing). He also officiated Real Madrid’s 4-2 victory over Napoli in the group stage and their 2-0 win against Chelsea in the 2022-23 quarter-final first leg.

It’s fair to say that arguably the most notable highlight of Letexier’s career was officiating the UEFA Euro 2024 final between Spain and England back in July, in Berlin. At 35 years and 82 days, he became the youngest referee to take charge of a European Championship final, surpassing the previous record held by Anders Frisk, who was 37 during Euro 2000.

Instead of those nations, he now stands in the middle of the most successful teams that represent each of them. The Reds are in a very strong position in the new UCL format, while Los Blancos' progression, certainly in a seeded placing, is very much on the line.

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