Friday , October 11 2024

Clattenburg: I’ve watched the Lisbon final three times

English referee Mark Clattenburg admitted that he’s watched the repeat of the Champions League final in Lisbon from 2014 two or three times.

Clattenburg will be in charge of this year’s final featuring the same two sides that played that match out: Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

“I’ve watched it two or three times so far and I’ve also spoken to Björn Kuipers [who refereed that match] about all the things that go around the final, to be as well prepared as possible,” he said in an interview published on the UEFA website.

“I’ve also made sure to watch both meetings between the clubs in the league this year as one of the coaches has changed since 2014, so that gives us as much information as possible to share with the team.”

The 41-year-old, who last week refereed the FA Cup final, explained that he’s prepared for the occasion.

“My job as the ‘manager’ of the refereeing team, if you like, is to make sure that everyone stays calm and that we support each other during the match,” he went on.

“For all of us, it’s a huge honour but now we want to make sure that the 90 minutes, or 120 minutes, goes as well as it possibly can.”

In general, he admits that he’s very satisfied with how the season has gone for him.

“After doing a semi-final, I really didn’t expect to get the final as well, but obviously I’m very proud.”

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