“Magnificent refereeing”, compared to the Eiffel Tower… Frenchman Clément Turpin praised after Bayern-Real

Because they are criticized, sometimes harshly, when they make mistakes, they also deserve their praise when they perform. Clément Turpin brilliantly refereed the Champions League semi-final first leg between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid on Tuesday at the Allianz Arena (2-2). With presence and accuracy, the man in black, or rather in blue that evening, contributed to the good state of mind on the pitch despite the stakes. The two penalties awarded, one for Bayern (56th) and one for Real (82nd), were not contested.

The newspaper L'Équipe gave him an 8/10, a rare rating for a referee in the pages of the sports daily. Many observers appreciated that he never used VAR. Confident in himself and his decisions, Turpin, accompanied by his assistants Nicolas Danos and Benjamin Pages, helped to smooth out a pleasant meeting. “He improved the match, transmitted serenity at all times and should be cloned,” praised the Madrid newspaper Marca. Former referee Pavel Fernandez, now a consultant for Spanish television, considered him “10 levels above the others”. Without overdoing it, Turpin also mastered a match where there was no shortage of experienced players, likely to step into a breach to influence an arbitration decision.

He handed out four deserved yellow cards which helped him establish his authority. Enough to silence the critics. “He will have a hard time doing worse than last time,” Uli Hoeness, honorary president of Bayern Munich, quipped before the match, marked by the quarter-final second leg of C1 against Manchester City (1-1 after the victory of Citizens in the first leg 3-0). Turpin then whistled two questionable penalties and ended up excluding Bavarian coach Thomas Tuchel who, if he had to “give him a mark, it would be zero”.

Aged 41, the native of Oullins (Rhône) made people envious on Tuesday. Thousands of British people in X took the opportunity to challenge the level of refereeing in the Premier League. “Neither the Eiffel Tower, nor the Notre-Dame Cathedral, nor the Arc de Triomphe, nor the Palace of Versailles... Turpin is the best that France has to offer,” said the former referee. Pavel Fernandez. Clément Turpin is one of the two French referees selected for Euro 2024 this summer with François Letexier, who also made a good impression during the quarter-final first leg between Real Madrid and Manchester City. The latter was also entrusted with a European semi-final, in the Europa League, between AS Roma and Bayer Leverkusen this Thursday.