What's it like to referee a EURO final?

There are few better ways to retire from the game than by being involved in a European Championship final.

That was the honour bestowed upon Björn Kuipers at EURO 2020, when the Dutchman was selected to referee the decider between England and eventual winners Italy at London's Wembley Stadium.

"It was a fantastic moment, one to never forget," Kuipers recalls. "I had refereed other finals but EURO was not on the list, so it was really something special and we got very positive feedback as a team of officials. I had already decided it would be my last game, I didn’t want to be past my sell-by date, and it was the perfect moment to finish."

Kuipers is now a member of UEFA's referee committee, and is part of the support team that appoints officials for EURO 2024, helping to guide them through the intense period before the tournament kicked off.

"If you are selected for the EURO, then you are one of the best referees in Europe, and therefore the world," Kuipers says. "It is a special honour, but it also means that you have to perform. When the referees come to Germany, the focus is completely on football and they will be prepared in the best possible way."

The matches will come thick and fast, and just like players, referees eagerly await their match appointments. When selected, they officiate at the most technically advanced EURO yet, with connected ball technology added to VAR, semi-automated offside and goal-line technology for the first time.

VAR will be used carefully, with minimum interference to avoid only clear errors, while referees will be firm on dissent and unsporting behaviour.

"We instruct our referees to be strict with the players," Kuipers says. "The most important thing is respect and fair play, the players and coaches are examples for young people, so they cannot react to decisions in an unacceptable way."

This message was communicated to coaches at a pre-tournament meeting, and Kuipers and his refereeing colleagues also visited squads ahead of the kick-off to discuss key issues.