French Referee To Officiate Sundowns’ FIFA Club World Cup Opener
French referee Clément Turpin will be in charge when Mamelodi Sundowns kick off their FIFA Club World Cup campaign against Ulsan HD at Inter&Co Stadium on Wednesday at 00:00 SAST.
The 43-year-old Turpin will be assisted by fellow Frenchmen Nicolas Danos as the first assistant and Benjamin Pages as the second assistant. Slavko Vinčić from Slovenia will serve as the fourth official.
Turpin officiated seven matches in the UEFA Champions League this past season, including Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory over city rivals Atlético Madrid in the first leg of the Round of 16. Last season, he was also the man in the middle for Barcelona’s entertaining 3-3 draw against Inter Milan in the first leg of the semi-finals of the same competition.
Notably, Turpin refereed the 2021/22 Champions League final, which saw Real Madrid defeat Liverpool 1-0 in his home country, France, with Vinicius Junior scoring the decisive goal.
Other significant final matches overseen by Turpin, who began officiating in 2005 and earned his FIFA badge in 2010, include the 2020/21 UEFA Europa League final where Spanish side Villarreal triumphed over Manchester United in a penalty shootout.
