Who Is the Referee For England Vs Slovakia? From Being Punched To Euro 2024 Backlash – Dividing Deep Into His Controversial Career

We are less than an hour away from the electric clash between England and Slovakia. Gareth Southgate‘s side has had a rough run in the tournament’s group stages. However, the team has the chance to turn things around as they look to get past their opponents. A lot will depend on match official Halil Umut Meler, as he takes charge of the crucial game.

Meler has had a controversial run as an official match referee. The Turkish official came under fire last year when he was physically assaulted by Ankaragucu’s president Faruk Koca. The Turkish Liga boss was fuming with the referee during the clash between the fixture Ankaragucu and Rizespor in Ankara. With the referee’s decisions going against his team, Koca stormed onto the field and lunged at the referee, punching him square in the jaw.

Koca talked about the incident following the game, claiming he was sorry for the incident but maintained the fact the referee was biased towards the other team. Ankaragucu’s president stated, “No matter how great an injustice or how wrong [the officiating] was, nothing can legitimize or explain the violence that I perpetrated. I apologize to the Turkish refereeing community, the sports public, and our nation.”

After the incident, Meler had to be taken to the hospital, which saw him miss almost six months off the field. However, his return to officiating regular competitions hasn’t been smooth sailing with the referee bashed for his poor decision-making during Belgium’s opening clash in the Euros.

Euro 2024: Umut Meller’s controversial call rules out Romelu Lukaku’s brace

Fans did not seem convinced when the UEFA announced the Turkish match official as a part of their official referee team for the Euro 2024. Their doubts were consolidated during the contest between Belgium and Slovakia as the referee dished out multiple yellow cards against Kevin De Bruyne’s side while ruling out Romelu Lukaku’s goal. His decisions played a huge role in the contest as Slovakia won the contest 1-0 with both of Belgium’s goals deemed invalid.

The Belgium vs Slovakia game wasn’t the only game filled with controversy, as Meller’s second game in the competition also raised eyebrows. Meller dished out 6 yellow cards during the contest between Austria and Poland while awarding the former a key penalty that saw them bag three crucial points. Fans will hope the clash between England and Slovakia can avoid controversy, as poor officiating could affect both teams’ chances of making it further in the competition.