Slavko Vincic, a referee who is always in the shadow of Skomina

tonight the European League opens a series of finals of continental club competitions that will end on May 28 with the Champions League final in Saint Dennis.

This first date facing Eintracht of Frankfurt and the guards will whistle the Slovenian Slavko Vincić. At 42 years old, the Slovenian has been refereeing for fifteen years and since 2010 he has had an international badge awarded by FIFA.

This is the great showcase for Vincic, Ceferin’s compatriot, and who for many years has been in the shadow of the great Slovenian referee of recent decades, Damir Skomina. Vincic has been traveling in Europe for many years as a Skomina assistant, who last summer decided to hang up the whistle at the age of 45 and has an impeccable career. On his track record, he has the 2019 Champions League final between Liverpool and Tottenham or two years before the same appointment in the Europa League, then between Ajax and Manchester United, which his disciple will whistle tonight.

This is the day Vincic has been waiting for a long time, who within UEFA is considered one of its most reliable referees: serious, disciplined. Last summer he participated in the European Championship, which marked his debut in a major continental competition for national teams, and even led the quarter-final match between Belgium and Italy, which eventually became champion.

This season, he has refereed eight Champions League games: five in the group stage, two in the round of 16 and a quarter-round match between Bayern and Villarreal. This will be his last meeting in European competitions until tonight’s appointment, where he will finally be able to do what he has seen his master Skomina do many times. A meeting where there will be two Spanish referees. Both Hernández Hernández and Roberto Díaz del Palomar will perform as VAR and AVAR assistants.