What to know about the referee for the Champions League final

Ahead of the Champions League final, referee Slavko Vincic is one man who has had an unwanted run-in with law enforcement at one point in time.

Slavko Vincic, the Slovenian referee selected to officiate next month’s Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid at Wembley, has an intriguing past.

The 44-year-old official, who has already refereed four matches in this season’s premier European competition, was once caught up in a police raid related to drugs and prostitution.

In 2020, Vincic was taken to a police station following a raid at a ranch in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he was present for a business meeting.

The Daily Mail reported that the raid resulted in the detention of 35 individuals, including nine women and 26 men. While 15 people were arrested, the rest, including Vincic, were questioned as witnesses and subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing.

Vincic clarified his involvement to Slovenian media outlet Vecer, explaining that he was in Bosnia and Herzegovina on behalf of his company and had accepted a lunch invitation, which led to his unintended presence at the scene of the raid.

“I found myself on this ranch by chance. I have my own company, I was in Bosnia and Herzegovina for a business meeting,” he said. “I accepted an invitation to lunch, which turned out to be my biggest mistake. I regret it.”

He continued,

“I was sitting at a table with my company, all of a sudden the police came and what happened, happened. I have nothing to do with the group that was arrested and detained, nor do my business partners. They really took us to the police, asked as witnesses. When it turned out that we didn’t even know them, we were able to go.”

The president of the Association of Football Referees in Slovenia regarded the incident as “a web of unfortunate circumstances,” and no disciplinary action was taken against Vincic.

Vincic’s officiating resume includes two group stage matches at the 2022 World Cup: Argentina’s unexpected 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia and England’s 3-1 victory over Wales. His selection for the Champions League final underscores his esteemed standing in the world of football refereeing, despite the unfortunate incident in 2020.