July 28 – Bjorn Kuipers has announced his retirement from refereeing. Earlier this month, the Dutchman led the Euro 2020 final between Italy and England.
At 48, Kuipers will referee one more match, the Dutch super cup between Ajax and PSV on August 7, before retiring.
“After the Euro final I experienced an emotional roller coaster,” explains Kuipers. “My mind told me before Italy-England that I should retire after the tournament, but my head was turned by people who told me not to. They thought I had whistled fantastically and that I should continue for another year and a half to be active at the World Cup in Qatar in November and December 2022. It’s been nice. They sometimes say that you should stop at your peak. And in that regard, there is no better moment than this.”
At Wembley, Kuipers, one of the standout referees at Euro 2020, led the European Championship final with Italy prevailing from the penalty spot after 120 nerve-racking minutes. It was his fifth major finals in a row, having first refereed at a senior international tournament at Euro 2012. Kuipers also took charge of a Champions League final and two Europa League finals during his distinguished career.
“I started to referee in 1989, when I was sixteen, on the advice of my father, because he was a referee,” reflected Kuipers. “I could never have imagined that I would have such a wonderful career.”
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