The man who will referee the Champions League final between Arsenal and PSG this Saturday is no stranger to controversy
Edinson Cavani once suggested that the referee who will take charge of the 2026 Champions League final between Arsenal and PSG be "put in jail." German official Daniel Siebert - one of the Bundesliga's longest-serving referees - found himself at the centre of a storm during Uruguay's 2-0 win over Ghana at the World Cup 2022.
Despite the victory, Uruguay were eliminated at the group stage on goals scored, as South Korea's late win over Portugal proved decisive in the standings. Tempers flared at full-time. Cavani, visibly distraught, was among several Uruguay players who confronted match officials - and he also punched a VAR monitor in frustration after the final whistle.
Reflecting on the officiating, the former Manchester United striker did not hold back. "They have to put him in jail," he said. "But if they penalise me for hitting the VAR, the referee, for having taken us out of the World Cup, they have to put him in jail."
During the match, Uruguay had a series of penalty appeals waved away, adding to their sense of grievance at full-time. Some players even chased Siebert down the tunnel after the final whistle.
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When later asked about the possibility of disciplinary action for his reaction, Cavani urged greater understanding of players' emotions in high-stakes moments. "These are things that happen... they have to get a little on the footballer's side, not only the referee and others, on the footballer's side to see what has happened, why it has happened and why things have happened the way they have," he said.
"It's okay that we have to maintain a behaviour and so on but we are human beings and when sometimes the things that happen [on the pitch] are lived with passion and you work so hard to get there and compete and this and the other... It may also be that the reaction of a footballer inside can be, not justified, but a little more forgiven."
Siebert went on to referee further matches at Euro 2024, though he was not selected for the World Cup 2026. This Saturday, he is set to take charge of the Champions League final for the first time in his career.
Arsenal head into the game as underdogs, with their opponents, PSG, aiming to become only the second club in Champions League history to defend the trophy. The Gunners, meanwhile, will be hoping to keep refereeing controversies to a minimum after the heartbreak of their only previous final appearance in 2006 against Barcelona.
Midway through the first half, Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off and despite the English side later taking the lead through Sol Campbell, late goals from Samuel Eto'o and Juliano Belletti ultimately turned the game in Barcelona's favour.
Mikel Arteta's side will head into the final confident they can avoid disciplinary drama, having not received a single red card all season. Arsenal may also take encouragement from their previous experiences with Siebert this season.
The German has overseen two of their Champions League matches - a 1-0 quarter-final victory over Sporting CP and another 1-0 win against Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals. Siebert has also taken charge of one PSG fixture this campaign: their goalless draw with Atletico Bilbao during the league phase.