Who is Halil Umut Meler, the referee for England - Slovakia at Euro 2024?

Turkey’s Halil Umut Meler will referee England and Slovakia’s Euro 2024 last-16 match-up today, as the two teams battle it out for the right to face Switzerland in the quarter-finals.

England are the overwhelming favourites to win the clash in Gelsenkirchen, but were unimpressive in the group stage, winning just five points despite topping their section.

While the Three Lions are bidding to make the quarter-finals of a fourth straight international tournament, Slovakia will attempt to reach the last eight at a major finals for the first time since becoming an independent nation. The Slovakians reached the knockout stages as one of the Euros’ four best third-placed finishers, emerging from a group in which every team ended up with four points.

Who is Halil Umut Meler?

A FIFA-listed referee since 2017, Meler is appearing at his first major international tournament. He has taken charge of two games in Germany so far, including Slovakia’s surprise win over Belgium.

The Group E game saw Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku have two goals disallowed - and not everyone agreed with the decision to rule out Lukaku’s 86th-minute finish from a Loïs Openda cross.

After being called over to the pitchside monitor by video assistant referee Bastian Dankert, Meler opted to penalise Openda for an infraction in the build-up, after the ball bounced up and brushed the forward’s hand. “That is scandalous,” former England striker Chris Sutton said on BBC Radio. “It is ridiculous, it really is. Openda doesn’t intentionally push the ball into his path.”

Meler was also the referee for Austria’s 3-1 victory over Poland on matchday two of Group D.

Thus far at Euro 2024, Meler has shown 10 yellow cards and is yet to send a player off.

Left in hospital after attack by club president

In the club game, Meler has refereed in the Super Lig, the top flight of Turkish soccer, since 2015. Last December, he made international headlines when he was hospitalised after being assaulted by Faruk Koca, the president of MKE Ankaragucu, after a league game against Caykur Rizespor.

Following a 1-1 draw, Koca strode onto the pitch and punched Meler in the face, causing the referee to fall to the floor. In the melée that ensued, the 37-year-old was then kicked by other individuals.

In an interview with the Turkish media outlet Hurriyet, Meler said he has no plans to forgive Koca for the assault. “No, I did not forgive [Koca], I will not forgive,” Meler told Hurriyet, per ESPN. “The person who did this punched me, I collapsed and fell to the ground. But the actual kicking while I was on the ground will be something I will never forget for the rest of my life.”

Koca, who resigned as Ankaragucu president in the aftermath of the attack, has been permanently banned by the Turkish Football Federation, and has also faced criminal consequences over the incident.

UCL referee for past four seasons

Meler has been a referee in the UEFA Champions League, Europe’s top club competition, since 2020/21. He has overseen 10 games in the tournament, mostly in the group stages; his only knockout-phase assignments were two last-16 second legs, including Manchester City’s 0-0 draw with Sporting CP in 2021/22.

In Europe’s second and third-tier competitions, Meler’s notable assignments include Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat to Atalanta in last season’s Europa League quarter-finals, and West Ham’s 2-1 win over AZ Alkmaar in the 2022/23 Conference League semi-finals.

England vs Slovakia: start time, how to watch

In the Euro 2024 last 16, England and Slovakia meet today, Sunday 30 June 2024, at Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Kick-off is scheduled for 12 noon ET/9am PT. Viewers in the United States will be able to watch the game on Fox Network, TUDN USA, Univision and ViX.

You can also stream England vs Slovakia on the online platform fuboTV, which offers users a free introductory trial.

Enjoy the action on fubo.

Who are Meler’s assistant referees? Who is the VAR?

Meler’s assistant referees at Arena AufSchalke will be compatriots Emre Eyisoy and Kerem Ersoy, and the fourth official will be Serbia’s Rade Obrenovic. The video assistant referee (VAR) will be Germany’s Marco Fritz, while Fritz’s countryman, Christian Dingert, will be the assistant VAR. Poland’s Tomasz Kwiatkowski will be the second assistant VAR.