Who is Slavko Vincic, the referee for Arsenal - PSG in the UCL today?

Experienced referee Slavko Vincic will oversee today’s big-name Champions League clash between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, in his first appearance in the tournament proper since he took charge of last term’s final.

In June, Vincic became the second Slovenian to referee a Champions League final when he handled Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley. “If I am honest, when I started refereeing I am not sure my dreams went so far as the Champions League final, so it’s really a big thing,” the 44-year-old told UEFA.com before the showpiece event in London.

Vincic twice a European club final ref

A referee who made his Champions League debut in 2016 - nine years after his domestic top-flight bow - Vincic has now run the rule over 31 games in Europe’s elite club competition, including nine knockout-stage matches. Elsewhere in continental soccer, he was the man in the middle for the 2022 Europa League final in Seville, where Eintracht Frankfurt overcame Rangers on penalties.

During his career, Vincic has crossed paths once each with PSG and Arsenal. He was handed Paris’s 3-0 group-stage win over AC Milan in last season’s Champions League, and refereed Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Villarreal in the semi-finals of the 2020/21 Europa League. He averaged 3.5 yellow cards across the two games - with all but one of those cautions brandished in the French capital - and sent no players off.

Over the course of his eight years as a Champions League referee, Vincic has averaged just over four yellow cards a game, and has dismissed only three players.

On roster of Euro 2024 referees

In international soccer, Vincic was a referee at Euro 2020, World Cup 2022 and Euro 2024. In Germany this summer, he was given three games - most notably, Spain’s 2-1 semi-final victory over France.

In 2020, Vincic made the news for matters off the pitch when he was arrested on suspicion of being linked to a prostitution, drug and illegal firearms racket in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, he was released without charge after being cleared of any wrongdoing.

Arsenal vs PSG: start time, how to watch

Arsenal and PSG’s Champions League league-phase clash kicks off at the Emirates Stadium at 3 p.m. ET/12 noon PT. Viewers in the United States can watch the action on Paramount+ and ViX.

Who are Vincic’s assistants for Arsenal vs PSG?

Vincic will head up an almost all-Slovenian team of officials in North London. Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic will be the assistant referees, and Rade Obrenovic will be the fourth official. The video assistant referee (VAR) will be Nejc Kajtazovic, and the assistant VAR will be the only non-Slovenian: Poland’s Tomasz Kwiatkowski.