Daniel Siebert Confirmed as Referee for Champions League Final Between PSG and Arsenal

German referee Daniel Siebert has been officially appointed to take charge of the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal in Budapest this weekend.

The Gunners face the reigning champions in European football’s most prestigious club fixture as they aim to secure the Champions League title for the first time in their history.

This will mark only Arsenal’s second appearance in a Champions League final, with their previous outing coming 20 years ago in a dramatic defeat to Barcelona in Paris.

That encounter remains one of the most memorable finals in the competition’s history, not least due to the early sending-off of goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, which left Arsène Wenger’s side with a difficult task against a Barcelona team featuring Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o and Ludovic Giuly.

Although Arsenal initially took the lead through Sol Campbell’s first-half header, they were eventually overturned late in the match as goals from Eto’o and Juliano Belletti secured the trophy for Barcelona.

Arsenal will be determined to avoid a repeat of that disappointment when they take to the field in Budapest, with Siebert overseeing proceedings in what promises to be a high-stakes encounter.

Experienced Officials Appointed for Final

UEFA has confirmed that Siebert will be supported by assistant referees Jan Seidel and Rafael Foltyn, while Swiss official Sandro Schärer will serve as fourth official.

The VAR team will be made up of German officials Bastian Dankert and Robert Schröder.

At 42 years of age, Siebert is no stranger to major international fixtures, having refereed matches at both Euro 2020 and Euro 2024. However, this will be the first UEFA competition final of his career.

Positive and Balanced Records for Both Teams

Siebert’s appointment may be viewed positively by Arsenal supporters, as the Premier League side have won all three matches he has previously officiated involving them. Those fixtures include the Champions League semi-final second-leg victory over Atlético Madrid and a quarter-final first-leg win in Lisbon.

However, Paris Saint-Germain also hold a strong record under Siebert, having won three of their four matches with him as referee.

The only exception came earlier this season when PSG were held to a goalless draw against Athletic Club in the Champions League group stage — their sole outing under the German official in this campaign.