The stage is set for the UEFA Euro 2024 Final. Spain and England will have a dance with destiny to clinch their hands on the prestigious trophy. Undoubtedly, the stakes are high for the much-anticipated match which somehow makes a fair officiating of the match one of the most decisive factors. For the grand finale of the European tournament, the stakeholders have given this responsibility to the shoulders of Francois Letexier, a name that has previously even received death threats and has been involved in some past controversies.

So despite a questionable past, why Letexier has been given the task of this crucial game? Well, experience can be one of the factors to back him. Born on April 23, 1989, and raised in Bedee, France, Letexier has been a FIFA-licensed UEFA elite-level referee on the soccer pitch since 2017. But outside, he is also a court bailiff. The 35-year-old started his officiating journey as a Ligue 1 referee. The 2018 friendly between Bulgaria and Bosnia-Herzegovina was his first-ever international match.

So far, Letexier has officiated in over 65 UEFA matches, that too in the Youth League, Europa League as well as the Champions League. Of course, this isn’t the first time he is refereeing in Euros. Aside from being the 4th official of this year’s Germany vs Scotland, he was in charge of three group stage matches including Croatia 2-2 Albania, Denmark 0-0 Serbia, and Spain 4-1 Georgia. This suggests that it would be the first time he is officiating England.

Also, the Euro 2024 final isn’t the only biggest game of Letexier’s career; he oversaw the finals of Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund 2024 UCL as 4th official, refereed the Manchester City vs Sevilla 2023 Super Cup, and the Villarreal vs Manchester United 2021 UEL final as a VAR assistant. But with past experiences come various controversies that may interest you!

The referee for Spain vs England has received death threats in the past

One of the biggest controversies that surrounds Francois Letexier is the 2022 Ligue 1 match between OGC Nice and Nantes. Interestingly, Letexier ruled an eyebrow-raising penalty in favor of Nice. His call at the last minute saw Les Aiglons equalize the narrow lead of Nantes. He became a target of all Les Canaris fans, with manager Antoine Koumbouare even accusing the French official of ‘dishonesty.’

Certainly, fingers would be crossed that such incidents don’t transpire again due to his officiating for the Spain vs England final. However, there is a theory that Letexier may be a blessing for La Roja and bad luck for Three Lions. For starters, during an average per game, he has whistled for 19.33 fouls and shown 3.33 yellow cards, making him the most lenient official—good news for a team like Spain, who have committed an average of 13.8 fouls per game.

Notably, Francois Letexier will be accompanied by his fellow French assistant referees, Cyril Mugnier and Mehdi Rahmouni. Meanwhile, the Polish duo of Szymon Marciniak and Tomasz Listkiewicz take the role of fourth official and reserve assistant referee respectively. Likewise, Frenchman Jerome Brisard will lead the VAR team with Willy Delajod—another official from France—and Italian Willy Delajod.