A team of English officials is to oversee the UEFA Youth League final for the first time, after Chris Kavanagh was appointed as the referee for the showpiece match.
Kavanagh and his team of Dan Cook, Sian-Massey-Ellis and David Coote will oversee Benfica taking on Real Madrid in Geneva on Tuesday evening.
We spoke to the quartet ahead of the match:
Chris, Dan, Sian, David – congratulations on the appointment, you must be delighted. What was your reaction when you got the call?
Chris: I was absolutely delighted to receive the appointment. It came as a shock but we were all buzzing to receive it.
Dan: I was so shocked to get this appointment. I just never expected to get a game like this, but I am very excited and can’t wait to play my part in this game.
Sian: I was really stunned to receive the call. It’s a huge honour to receive the appointment. I had to have a little sit down to take it all in!
David: I was surprised, and delighted. I have known and been friends with Chris for many years, so I was made up to be supporting him and his team on a match of this nature.
To receive such a high-profile appointment from UEFA is testament to you undoubtedly having a great season. I am sure this season will live long in the memory for the off-field challenges brought by COVID-19, but for you what have been the highlights that have led up to the final?
Chris: I think the highlight is how well we’ve continued to grow as a team and learn from each game. The more games we do the more we know how each other thinks but also, we want to continue getting better so we constantly challenge each other about incidents in the game
Dan: I think my highlight has to be since the restart of the season, things have gone well and been involved in some really good high-profile games. Things have gone really well with the rest of the team and I am delighted to be on this game with Chris, Sian and David.
Sian: I think my highlight for us is doing international games together and growing as a team. I am enjoying working on more and more important games and challenging each other to be the best team we can be.
David: We have been lucky to have completed a season and continue to be active through months where the majority of the country has been unable to enjoy actively participating in football. Being a small part of the return to football in the circumstances will be something I never forget. The major personal highlight for me though was walking out from 1 January wearing an international badge, which is a massive honour.
Chris, appointments like this don’t happen by accident. What’s been your experience with UEFA and international fixtures this season?
Chris: This year has been a mix of refereeing, 4th official and VAR appointments. Each one is completely different but continues to build experience in European football.
It'll be a European final with some of the world’s best young talent on show. Dan, how does your preparation change for an international final in comparison to a domestic game?
Dan: I don’t think I will really change anything. We’ll do some homework on the teams and their previous games, we’ll get some rest in preparation and then prepare in my normal way that I do for every game.
Sian, it's another fantastic appointment for you that'll inspire thousands of women and girls with your progression within both the men’s and women’s game. You must be proud of your achievements?
Sian: I’m really proud of it, hopefully showing that hard work and dedication pays off and that all people can achieve their dreams.
To be appointed to any final is an achievement, but especially an international final where some of the top referees from Europe are considered. David, there must have been lots of hard work over the years that has led to being where you are now.
David: Absolutely – only close friends and family really know the impact of refereeing to your life over many years, with personal sacrifices being made in order to dedicate our time to football, going out training, often alone, and pushing yourself, and completing performance analysis. An appointment of this nature and the experience of being part of a UEFA final is the reward for the hard work over this time.
There will be tens of thousands of referees in England sending you many congratulations and best wishes for Tuesday’s game. What advice would you give to those wanting to progress through the refereeing pyramid?
Chris: My advice would be to enjoy every moment you have in football. That’s key, but also set yourself goals and keep focused on them.
Dan: Be positive about everything you do and believe in yourself that you can achieve what you want. Listen to people out there who can help as we are never the finished product and do the basics right.
Sian: We are a family of referees and it’s great to receive messages of support. My advice would be to work hard and enjoy your refereeing!
David: Work hard, utilise the support network available to all referees, keep your admin in order and don’t be afraid to make a mistake to learn from it and make yourself better.
Everyone at The FA and all referees in the country wish Chris and his team best wishes for the UEFA Youth League final, which can be watched live on BT Sport from 5pm BST on Tuesday 25 August.
If you are interested in starting your refereeing journey and following in the footsteps of Chris, Daniel, Sian and David, find out more here.
