UEFA has revealed the list of referees who will officiate for the entire first day of competition, and it is the Spaniard Jesús Gil Manzano who has been selected for France’s entry into the competition.
The referee who will officiate this Monday evening for the first match of the France team in Euro 2024 against Austria has been announced by UEFA. This is the Spaniard Jesús Gil Manzano. Aged 40, he participated in his first European Championship as head referee. He has already experienced the highest European level, having played around twenty Champions League matches under his belt, as well as several Europa League final stages. He notably refereed the semi-final return this year between Olympique de Marseille and Atalanta.
The Blues have also already encountered the Spanish referee, twice. First in 2019, for a 4-1 victory for the France team against Albania, then a few months ago during the friendly defeat against Germany. Jesús Gil Manzano warned two French players during this meeting. A mixed result that we also find during the matches of French clubs refereed by the Spaniard. If the results of Paris (two victories, one draw, one defeat) and Lyon (one victory) are rather positive, this is not the case for Marseille (one victory for three defeats).
This will be Jesús Gil Manzano’s first match in this edition of Euro 2024, and therefore his first match in a major international competition. Although he has refereed some friendly and qualifying matches, he has never before been selected by UEFA to officiate Nations League matches.