'An experience not to be missed'

UEFA Champions League final referee Herbert Fandel knows keeping emotions under control tonight will be the key to orchestrating "a big festival of football" in Athens.

Final experience
The 43-year-old German was in charge of last season's UEFA Cup final, where Sevilla FC beat Middlesbrough FC 4-0, and the experience of that night in Eindhoven - and any number of other important games in domestic, European and international competition - has convinced the concert pianist and music teacher that he must help the players to deal with the atmosphere.

'Special situation'
He told uefa.com: "What have I learned from all of those interesting and difficult matches? That this is an experience I do not want to miss. The players are very emotional, all the people around the pitch are very emotional, and in the first minutes you must control that, and you must accept that it is a special situation also for the players."

Familiar preparation
Fandel will take charge in tandem with his assistants Carsten Kadach and Volker Wezel as well as fourth official Florian Meyer, and it will be business as usual in the run-up to kick-off. "I am an old horse in this race," he said. "I don't want to change anything today. I want to be by myself in my room and to focus on the game. I want it to be a big festival of football."

'Fantastic moment'
Fandel, a father of two who lives in Kyllburg, close to the border with Luxembourg, admitted that news of his appointment for the final had come as a complete surprise. "I stopped working as soon as I heard and walked through the city," he recalled. "I didn't expect it this year - maybe next year or the year after because that would be my last year. It was a fantastic moment."

A fresh challenge
Now he can only hope his one opportunity to officiate at a UEFA Champions League final is memorable for all the right reasons. He is mindful of the fact Liverpool FC and AC Milan met in the 2005 final, but sees this match as a fresh challenge for both himself and the two clubs. "Tonight is another game," he said. "Two fantastic teams playing each other - we will see what happens."