The reason why the referee who oversaw Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League defeat of Paris Saint-Germain burst into tears at full-time has been revealed.
On Tuesday evening Borussia Dortmund produced one of the shocks of the season by beating PSG to reach the final of the Champions League.
The Bundesliga side won the first leg of the semi-final 1-0 in Germany last week, but few expected them to shutout PSG’s star-studded attack in Paris and win by the same scoreline.
The full-time whistle prompted emotional scenes on both sides, with Dortmund’s players running over to their delirious travelling supporters while PSG’s young stars sunk to the turf in disbelief.
Unknown to most fans, the moment was an emotional one for referee Daniele Orsato.
The Italian official has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2010, and since then has overseen several high-profile matches.
The 48-year-old oversaw the 2020 Champions League final in Lisbon, which saw Bayern Munich defeat PSG, and took charge of the opening match of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The reason why he was teary-eyed at full-time on Tuesday was because he had just officiated a Champions League match for the final time. Orsato will retire this summer after refereeing at Euro 2024.
Orsato earned praise for his performance on the night, especially his decision to award PSG a free-kick at the edge of the box when a penalty appeared to be the correct call.
It was the last Champions League game for Daniele Orsato. EURO 2024 will be the last tournament as FIFA referee. Thank you Daniele for everything! pic.twitter.com/ryJGqnS19Z
— Law 5 – The Ref (@Law5_TheRef) May 8, 2024
Replays showed that Orsato was correct, as Mats Hummels fouled Ousmane Dembele millimetres outside the area.
In 2020 Orsato was named by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) as the best referee of the year, although he has not escaped criticism during his career.
In 2019 he dished out ten cards during a European clash between Manchester United and PSG at Old Trafford, including a red card for Paul Pogba.
Orsato’s performance in the 2022 World Cup semi-final between Argentina and Croatia was slated by Luka Modric.
The Real Madrid star labelled the Italian “a disaster” and described him as “one of the worst” referees he had come across.
Featured Image Credit: TNT Sports