At 3 a.m. on July 15, the Euro final will take place between Spain and England. French referee Jérôme Létexier has been appointed to officiate this final match. UEFA also conducted an interview with Létexier.
Létexier said, “Being appointed to referee the Euro final is a tremendous honor. It was a surprise, because throughout the tournament, I was focused every day and didn’t expect something so significant to happen. There are many aspects of a tournament that differ from regular matches, so it was good for me to serve as the fourth official in the opening game, which relieved some of the pressure on me, allowing me to learn and see how everything operates, helping me manage stress and emotions.”
Regarding finding out he would be refereeing the Euro final, Létexier had mixed feelings, saying, “It was a brief conversation; UEFA’s head of refereeing, Roberto Rosetti, directly informed me of this. He asked if I was expecting anything. I said no, then he told me I would be the referee for the final, that’s all. I was both happy and surprised—it was an exciting moment because it’s so rare. I was eager to share the news with my assistants Cyril Monnier and Mehdi Rahmouni. This was my first reaction, because it’s a reward for the team. We’ve worked together for eight years, so we have a long history, and I wanted to share this moment with them.”
“This is a grand event, very thrilling for the players and the audience, so we must anticipate the unexpected. In terms of physical preparation, we’ve been working with UEFA’s fitness staff for a month, and I know we’re in good shape. Then there are the refereeing issues; we’ll study the teams’ tactics so far and the implications for refereeing, such as how we should adjust our positioning. People may not realize this, but we prepare and predict many different scenarios so that we can be ready to handle situations on the pitch.”
Finally, Létexier also expressed gratitude to colleagues and friends who have helped him. He said, “It wouldn’t be enough to thank just one person; as a young referee, many people helped me. I’m from Brittany, and we’re proud of our region, so I think of all the volunteers who helped me and other young referees enjoy this role and perform on the field. As my mentor, another important person is Bertrand Layec, who served as France’s refereeing chief. He trusted me before I trusted myself, not only giving me great advice but also boosting my confidence.”
