Portugal vs France – Euro 2016 final: Mark Clattenburg to referee final to complete hat-trick after FA Cup and Champions League
MARK CLATTENBURG will be confirmed as the Euro 2016 final referee on Friday.
The Premier League ref, 41, will complete a personal hat-trick of finals after he refereed the FA Cup and Champions League in May.
Clattenburg has officiated three games at the Euros, Belgium versus Italy, Croatia against the Czech Republic as well as Switzerland and Poland.
But the County Durham official has been kept back from quarter-final and semi-final duty with one eye on being in charge for Sunday’s showpiece at the Stade de France.
And, following Wales’ semi-final exit to Portugal on Wednesday night, Clattenburg has been given the green light by Uefa, who have been impressed by his performances on the big stage.
Clattenburg will be joined by his team - assistant referees Simon Beck and Jake Collin plus additional assistant referees Andre Marriner and Anthony Taylor - for the Paris date.
As well as refereeing Manchester United and Crystal Palace at Wembley and Real and Atletico Madrid in Milan, Clattenburg also took charge of the 2012 Olympics men’s final between Mexico and Brazil and the 2014 Super Cup final in Cardiff between the Madrid rivals.
He becomes the third Englishman to ref a Euro final after Arthur Holland and Arthur Ellis.