REFEREE François Letexier is seen as a trusted pair of hands to officiate at high profile football matches.
Read on to find out more about who he is and his journey towards Euro 2024.
Who is Francois Letexier?
François Letexier is a French football referee who's officiated at a large number of top flight Ligue 1 matches.
He was born on April 23rd, 1989, in Bédée in north west France.
He's been a FIFA referee since 2017 and is ranked as elite by UEFA.
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The first Ligue 1 game he oversaw was a match between Montpellier and Caen in 2016.
He then officiated his first senior international match in 2018 between Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Has Francois Letexier officiated at major tournaments before?
François Letexier has been in charge of thirteen Champions League matches since 2020.
He's twice officiated semi final clashes, including the 2024 game between Manchester City and Real Madrid which saw tensions flare up between him and Blues striker Erling Haaland.
It wasn't the first time Letexier's been caught up in a bit of a barney though.
Braga striker Iuri Medeiros was sent off after he squared up to him during their 2022 Europa League semi-final against Rangers.
You never actually stop. I think that I’ll still be learning about being a referee when I blow the whistle for the last time!”
François Letexier
The Frenchman's also took charge of a number of 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
In 2023 he refereed the tense UEFA Super Cup match, which saw Champions League winners Man City beat Europa League victors Sevilla on penalties.
What else has Francois Letexier done before?
Away from football, François Letexier has a young son.
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He also works part time as a court bailiff, something he says helps him keep a good life balance.
Letexier says it's important to be courageous as a referee, as you have to make sometimes unpopular decisions.
He' ha's spoken about the need to win the trust of players and understand what may make them frustrated.
Has Francois Letexier used VAR before?
François Letexier has a lot of experience of working with VAR.
In 2021 he acted as the video-assisted referee in the UEFA Europa League final between Villarreal and Manchester United.
VAR was introduced in Ligue 1 for the 2018/19 season, however it's not exactly been universally popular.
It's expected to be used at the 2024 Euros in Germany.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the first major tournament to use it fully, where it was deployed in all matches throughout the final stages.
It was credited with making the 2018 edition the cleanest World Cup since 1986, with no red cards issued in the opening 11 games.
