Jonas Eriksson to handle Super Cup final 2013

As expected, Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson has been appointed to take charge of Friday’s UEFA Super Cup match between FC Bayern München and Chelsea FC at the Stadion Eden in Prague. 

Jonas Eriksson with his first international final (c) ZIMBIO

The UEFA Referees Committee has appointed Sweden’s Jonas Eriksson to referee Friday’s 2013 UEFA Super Cup match between UEFA Champions League winners FC Bayern München and UEFA Europa League winners Chelsea FC at the Stadion Eden in Prague.

Eriksson, who is 39, has been an international referee since 2002 and has officiated in a total of 75 UEFA fixtures in his career.

Last season, Eriksson officiated at six UEFA Champions League matches, including the quarter-final first leg between Málaga CF and Borussia Dortmund, as well as three UEFA Europa League matches, including the semi-final second leg between Chelsea FC and FC Basel 1893. Prior to that, he took control over two matches at UEFA European Championship 2012, among others, the long-standing duel between the Netherlands and Germany. 

In July and August 2013, he furthermore attended FIFA Under-20 World Cup with the semi-final between Uruguay and Iraq as the pinnacle. He is additionally pre-selected for 2014 FIFA World Cup.

At the UEFA Super Cup match in Prague, Eriksson will be assisted by countrymen Mathias Klasenius and Daniel Wärnmark, with Stefan Wittberg acting as fourth official. Two additional assistant referees, Stefan Johannesson and Markus Strömbergsson also from Sweden, complete the lineup of the refereeing team. It is the first Swedish refereeing team officiating at a final since 2008, when Peter Fröjdfeldt took charge of Zenit St. Petersburg against Rangers FC in UEFA Cup final.

30 August 2013, 20:45 CET

Eden (Prague, Czech Republic)

FC Bayern München - Chelsea FC 

Referee: Jonas Eriksson (SWE)

Assistant Referee 1: Mathias Klasenius (SWE)

Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Wärnmark (SWE)

Additional Assistant Referee 1: Stefan Johannesson (SWE)

Additional Assistant Referee 2: Markus Strömbergsson (SWE)

Fourth Official: Stefan Wittberg (SWE)

UEFA Referee Observer: Nikolay Levnikov (RUS)

UEFA Delegate: Elkhan Mammadov (AZE)
Blog Referee Observer: Dino (CRO)

Levnikov to observe Supercup Final 2013 - Eriksson the safest bet to handle the match

Right after the play-off ties of UEFA Champions League, last season's winners of UEFA Champions League - Bayern München - and UEFA Europa League - Chelsea FC - will meet in Prague to fight for the first title of the season in the UEFA Super Cup final. The match delegates have been already designated by UEFA.

30 August 2013, 20:45 CET

Eden (Prague, Czech Republic)

FC Bayern München - Chelsea FC 

UEFA Referee Observer: Nikolay Levnikov (RUS)

UEFA Delegate: Elkhan Mammadov (AZE)
Blog Referee Observer: Dino (CRO)

Further information (kits):

Bayern players will wear their red home kit (goalkeeper: light green)

Chelsea players will wear their blue home kit (goalkeeper: white)

The referees will wear the black Adidas 2013 kit

Nikolay Levnikov is a member of the UEFA Referee Committee since spring 2013 and observed Cüneyt Çakır in his Champions League play-off in Eindhoven last week. Therefore he will surely not handle the final match. Based on the presumption that the Super Cup final referee will not be appointed for a Champions League play-off, there is only one official left who probably will be assigned to handle the final: Jonas Eriksson and his officiating team of Sweden.

Predictions for the first final of the new season

After last weeks' qualifying rounds and the play-off ties allocated at today's drawings at UEFA's headquaters in Nyon, Switzerland, the new European club competition campaign surely is at the ready. At the end of August, last season's winners of UEFA Champions League - Bayern München - and UEFA Europa League - Chelsea FC - will meet in Prague to fight for the first title of the season, the UEFA Super Cup. Time to make an early prediction on the final referee.

One of the best European World Cup refs in South Africa: Olegário Benquerença

Elite Referees minus British and German officials and previous Super Cup final officials:

Martin Atkinson (ENG), Olegário Benquerença (POR), Felix Brych (GER), Cüneyt Çakır (TUR), Mark Clattenburg (ENG), William Collum (SCO), Jonas Eriksson (SWE), Viktor Kassai (HUN), Pavel Královec (CZE), Björn Kuipers (NED), Stéphane Lannoy (FRA), Milorad Mažić (SRB), Svein Oddvar Moen (NOR), Pedro Proenca (POR), Nicola Rizzoli (ITA), Gianluca Rocchi (ITA), Damir Skomina (SVN), Wolfgang Stark (GER), Paolo Tagliavento (ITA), Craig Thomson (SCO), Alberto Undiano (ESP), Carlos Velasco Carballo (ESP), Howard Webb (ENG)

Furthermore, some other officials already took charge of many finals in the last seasons, so that the likelihood to see them appointed this year is quite low as well. In addition, a few officials are quite unprobable for performance-related or other reasons:
Martin Atkinson (ENG), Olegário Benquerença (POR), Felix Brych (GER), Cüneyt Çakır (TUR), Mark Clattenburg (ENG), William Collum (SCO), Jonas Eriksson (SWE), Viktor Kassai (HUN), Pavel Královec (CZE), Björn Kuipers (NED), Stéphane Lannoy (FRA), Milorad Mažić (SRB), Svein Oddvar Moen (NOR), Pedro Proenca (POR), Nicola Rizzoli (ITA), Gianluca Rocchi (ITA), Damir Skomina (SVN), Wolfgang Stark (GER), Paolo Tagliavento (ITA), Craig Thomson (SCO), Alberto Undiano (ESP), Carlos Velasco Carballo (ESP), Howard Webb (ENG)

Benquerença: Considering his extremely bright career having culminated at FIFA World Cup 2010 and among others in 2010/11 UEFA Champions League quarterfinal between Man.United and Chelsea FC, assigning the Portuguese referee for a final would be a nice reward before his soon retirement. I once again would like to see the only referee in the Elite Group with a style and personality you can certainly call "positively extra-ordinary" and listen to the commentary saying his full name "Olegário Manuel Bartolo Faustino Benquerença"...

Eriksson: The Swedish referee would definitely deserve a final. His performances in the last campaign have been, all in all, good. His three appearances at FIFA Under-20 World Cup confirmed that. Furthermore, his calm attitude and strong player management would suit to this  match. It would be first final for a Scandinavian referee for quite a long time, after Peter Fröjdfeldt and Claus Bo Larsen in 2008.

Královec: The Czech official had some problems in the UEFA Europa League semifinal involving Chelsea FC last season. Nonetheless he is an outsider option, too. As the final will be played in Prague, the political factor might play a role - but his appointment is rather unlikely in my opinion.

Lannoy: The French official counted to the weaker officials at 2010 FIFA World Cup and the season after it. His European Championship 2012 was however very sovereign and crowned with an overall solid semifinal performance. He will retire in 2014 so that there are not that many opportunities to designate him for a final. The Super Cup final 2013 could be a good opportunity.

Mažić: Following excellent performances throughout the whole last UEFA season, the promotion to Elite was just deserved and nothing else. Born in 1973, big finals have to come quickly. I rather do not believe that he will be appointed in this year, but reading his name would be no surprise at all.

Undiano Mallenco: Despite some great matches and performances some years ago, Undiano's career has partly come to a standstill during the last years. Velasco Carballo was heavily pushed, leading to his quick EL final and EURO participation with not that satisfying results. It was Undiano who joined Under-20 World Cup - Velasco Carballo is still without a FIFA tournament you need for a World Cup call-up. That's why Undiano could be "back in the business". Nonetheless he probably only has some outsider chances.


It's too hard to outline a clear prediction, but I tend to think either Benquerença, Eriksson or Lannoy will be assigned. What do you think?

Skomina senses a big honour ahead Monte Carlo's final

Slovenian referee Damir Skomina continues to make excellent refereeing progress, with tonight's UEFA Super Cup contest between Chelsea FC and Club Atlético de Madrid at Monaco's Stade Louis II the latest addition to a top-notch career CV. Skomina, his assistants Primoz Arhar and Matej Žunič, fourth official Bojan Ul and additional assistant referees Matej Jug and Slavko Vincic, are looking forward to the showpiece occasion which heralds the start of the 2012/13 European club competition season.

The 36-year-old has been an international referee since 2003. He served as fourth official at two youth finals, beginning with the 2003 UEFA European Under-17 Championship showpiece between Portugal and Spain in Viseu and then exercising his duties at the U19 decider between England and France in Belfast in 2005.

Since then, he has gradually risen up the ladder, numbering the 2007 UEFA European U21 Championship final, various UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League encounters, and two matches at this summer's UEFA EURO 2012 tournament among his key assignments.

Last season, Skomina took charge of one UEFA Champions League play-off game, three group stage matches, one fixture in the round of 16 and the second leg of the quarter-final between Chelsea and SL Benfica.

fr.l.: Matej Jug, Matej Zunic, Damir Skomina and Slavko Vincic

He also officiated in two UEFA Europa League encounters, including the second leg of the semi-final between Valencia CF and Atlético. His UEFA EURO 2012 assignments were the group games between the Netherlands and Denmark, and Sweden and England, as well as Germany's quarter-final with Greece.

"It's a pleasure and a big honour for me," Skomina told UEFA.com after the announcement of his UEFA Super Cup appointment. "It's one of the highlights of my career, I'm very proud."

Skomina commenced refereeing in 1992 as a 16-year-old. "At the time I played football, but because of some health problems the doctors told me that it would be better to stop. When I was about 22, they told me I could play again but it was too late – I stayed as a referee!"

If Skomina refereed to remain loyal to football, he says he had no concrete goals to climb the refereeing ladder – yet it soon became apparent that his qualities were such that international recognition would beckon.

"The most important thing for me is that I'm in good shape," Skomina said ahead of tonight's big match. "Psychologically, it's very important for me to be focused, to be able to be calm for the whole 90 minutes so that I'm ready in my mind to take a decision. It's important for the referees to have the match in their hands all the time."

Skomina and his team will prepare in their own usual way for the game in Monaco. "We try to stay as relaxed as possible when we're in our dressing room – we have a choice of music which we like." Gathering mental strength through mutual motivation has Skomina and company fully focused on the task to come. "It's essential that our minds are clear," he explained.

The UEFA Super Cup is the latest step on a fine refereeing path for Damir Skomina, but he is keeping his feet firmly and modestly on the ground. "I must say that I only go year by year, I don't have any long projects," he said. "I just try to focus on the next match and try not to think too much about the longer future – because we never know what may happen."

source: UEFA.com

Related Item:

- Damir Skomina gets Super Cup call-up

Damir Skomina gets UEFA Supercup call-up

Damir Skomina of Slovenia has been appointed to oversee next week's UEFA Supercup 2012 final between UEFA Champions League winners FC Chelsea London and UEFA Europa League winners Atlético Madrid. The match will be played at Stade Louis II, Monaco, at 20:45 CET.

For the tourism manager from Koper, it will be his second international final after 2007 UEFA U21 EURO final between the Netherlands and Serbia.
In 2011/12, he refereed both teams: After having whistled the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal second leg between Chelsea and Benfica, he also handled the UEFA Europa League semifinal between Valencia and Atlético.

(ENG) Chelsea London			Atlético Madrid (ESP)
Friday, 31 August 2012, 20:45 CET, Stade Louis Monaco II (MON)
Referee: Damir Skomina (SVN) Assistant Referee 1: Primoz Arhar (SVN) Assistant Referee 2: Matej Zunic (SVN) Fourth Official: Bojan Ul (SVN) Additional Assistant Referee 1: Slavko Vincic (SVN) Additional Assistant Referee 2: Matej Jug (SVN) UEFA Delegate: Rudolf Repka (CZE) UEFA Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas (SCO) UEFA Referee Liaison Officer: Jacques Thaon (FRA) MATCH PREVIEW MATCH REPORT