NOS Football•yesterday, 11:42
Referee Danny Makkelie has been selected by UEFA for next summer’s European Football Championship. He is the only Dutchman who is part of the elite group of eighteen referees for the European Championship. He brings Hessel Steegstra and Jan de Vries with him as assistant referees.
Four other Dutch people also travel to Germany, albeit in a different role. Pol van Boekel and Rob Dieperink have been selected as video referees, while Serdar Gözübüyük and Johan Balder will join as fourth officials.
It will be Makkelie’s second European Championship. At the previous edition, which was played in 2021 due to the corona pandemic, he refereed four matches, including the England-Denmark semi-final. At the time, fellow countryman Björn Kuipers led the final. He has now retired as a professional referee.
Argentinian in European company
The most striking name on the referee list for the European Championship is Facundo Tello, an Argentinian. UEFA announces that he will also join the group of European referees for the European Championship, as a demonstration of the good ties between the European and South American football associations.
“All selected referees have consistently performed to the highest European standards,” UEFA said. “They are extremely well prepared and we are confident that they will demonstrate their qualities at the tournament.”
