Champions League final referee once told 'should've been put in jail' by Cavani

Daniel Siebert will take charge of the Champions League final between Arsenal and PSG on Saturday — a first for the German official, and one that arrives with a notable piece of baggage. Edinson Cavani once called for Siebert to be imprisoned following a disputed refereeing performance at the 2022 World Cup.

The flashpoint came during Uruguay’s 2-0 win over Ghana in Qatar. Despite the victory, Uruguay were eliminated at the group stage on goal difference after South Korea’s late win over Portugal altered the standings. Cavani, visibly distraught at full-time, was among several Uruguay players who confronted Siebert on the pitch. He also punched a VAR monitor in frustration after the final whistle.

“They have to put him in jail,” Cavani said of the referee. “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.”

Uruguay had a series of penalty appeals waved away during the match, deepening their sense of grievance. Some players chased Siebert down the tunnel after the final whistle.

When later asked about potential disciplinary action for his own conduct, the former Manchester United striker urged greater understanding of players’ emotions in high-pressure situations. “These are things that happen,” Cavani said. “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.”

“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… the reaction of a footballer inside can be, not justified, but a little more forgiven.”

Siebert went on to referee at Euro 2024 but was not selected for the 2026 World Cup. Saturday’s final in Munich will be the biggest appointment of his career.

Arsenal head into the match as underdogs against PSG, who are aiming to become only the second club in Champions League history to defend the trophy. For the Gunners, it is their first final since 2006, when goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off against Barcelona in the first half. Arsenal took the lead through Sol Campbell before late goals from Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti turned the game in Barcelona’s favour.