UEFA Champions League, better known as UCL, is the most popular form of annual football league at present. Every year 32 clubs compete in the event. Winners of domestic leagues from across Europe compete for the title of champion.
Four referees oversee each Champions League match. Among them, one serves as the match official, two as assistant referees, and another one as the 4th umpire. The league pays every referee with a handful amount of money. The article contains further details on a referee’s salaries and income from serving in the league.
Category of Referees in Champions League:
UEFA categorizes its referees into 4 classes. This is based on their experience, match count, and other official work-related rankings. The classes are-
- Elite
- Elite Development
- First
- Second
- Third
The wage amount varies depending on the category a referee is listed in. The categories are listed below.
| Class | Match Official | Assistant Referee | 4th Official |
| Elite | $10,000 | $3,000 | $1,000 |
| Elite Development | $6,500 | $2,000 | $800 |
| First | $3000 | $750 | N/A |
| Second | $2000 | $550 | N/A |
| Third | $1000 | $350 | N/A |
Champions League Referees Salaries in 2022-23:
UEFA recently published the referees’ panel for the upcoming season of the Champions League. Let us look at the list of referees serving in the upcoming event.
| Referee | Country | Category | Match Fee | Expected Earning in 2022-23 |
| Damir Skomina | Solvenia | Elite Panel | $10,000 | $1,40,000 |
| Cuneyt Cakır | Turkey | Elite Panel | $10,000 | $1,20,000 |
| Bjorn Kuipers | Netherlands | Elite Panel | $10,000 | $1,20,000 |
| Danny Makkelie | Netherlands | Elite Panel | $8,000 | $96,000 |
| Antonio Mateu Lahoz | Spain | Elite Panel | $8,000 | $96,000 |
| Dr. Felix Brych | Germany | Elite Panel | $10,000 | $1,20,000 |
| Daniele Orsato | Italy | Elite Panel | $8,000 | $96,000 |
| Gianluca Rocchi | Italy | Elite Panel | $8,000 | $96,000 |
| Clement Turpin | France | Elite Panel | $10,000 | $1,20,000 |
| William Collum | Scotland | Elite Panel | $8,000 | $96,000 |
| Carlos Del Cerro Grande | Ukraine | Elite Panel | $8,000 | $96,000 |
| Benoit Bastien | France | Elite Development Panel | $6,500 | $60,000 |
| John Beaton | Scotland | First | $3,000 | $27,000 |
| Anatoliy Abdula | Ukraine | Second | $2,000 | $18,000 |
| Aliyar Aghayev | Azerbaijan | Second | $2,000 | $18,000 |
| Marius Avram | Israel | Second | $2,000 | $18,000 |
| Mohammed Al-Hakim | Sweden | Third | $1,000 | $8,000 |
| Sascha Amhof | Switzerland | Third | $1,000 | $8,000 |
Referee of Champions League Final 2022:
The final match of Champions League 2022 was held on May 28, 2022. French referee Clement Turpin served as the referee of the event. That was Turpin’s first final-match officiation in his Champions League career. Nicolas Danos and Cyril Gringore assisted him during the game. Benoit Bastien was also present as 4th official.
Clement Turpin has been serving in League-1 since 2008. UEFA promoted him to the Elite group in 2012. In 2010, FIFA listed him as an international referee. As an Elite member, Turpin earns $10,000 from officiating Champions League matches. He is currently one of the highest-paid official football referees.
Conclusion:
The job of a referee is one of the most challenging sections in football. The outcome of a match depends on his sharp analytical ability and fast decision-making. One mistake can lead to a career-ending situation. Let us know your thoughts on their salary in the comments section below.
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