Chelsea and Arsenal will meet in the Europa League final this evening with both teams looking to end their season with a trophy.
The match has extra importance for Unai Emery’s side, as victory would secure them a place in next season’s Champions League.
Also Chelsea’s Eden Hazard will be looking to claim one more trophy ahead of his expected departure to Real Madrid.
Who is the Europa League final referee?
The referee for Chelsea vs Arsenal will be Gianluca Rocchi.
The 45-year-old Italian has been a referee in Serie A since 2004 and he has been part of UEFA Elite since 2010.
He has taken charge of several international fixtures, and he was the referee for three 2018 World Cup matches, including the 3-3 draw between Portugal and Spain during the group stages.
Gianluca also overlooked three Euro 2012 qualifying matches and several matches at the Men’s football tournament at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Some of his biggest games include the 2013 Supercoppa Italiana final between Juventus and Lazio, as well as the Coppa Italia final between Milan and Juventus in 2016.
Gianluca has also taken charge of the UEFA Super Cup final between Real Madrid and Manchester United in 2017.
Last season he was the referee for Atletico Madrid’s win against Arsenal in the Europa League semi-finals.
He is a highly regarded official and last year he was awarded the Serie A player of the year.
Gianluca Rocchi 2018/19 referee stats
Serie A
Matches – 16
Yellow cards – 82
Second yellows – 4
Red cards – 2
Penalties – 10
Champions League
Matches – 5
Yellow cards – 23
Second yellows – 1
Red cards – 0
Penalties – 1
2018 World Cup
Matches – 3
Yellow cards – 13
Second yellows – 0
Red cards – 0
Penalties – 1
How to watch Chelsea vs Arsenal
The Europa League final between Chelsea and Arsenal will kick-off at 20.00 on Wednesday 29 May.
The match will be shown on BT Sport 2, but the good news is that the broadcaster will be making it available to watch for free via the BT Sport app, or through BTSport.com or YouTube.
MORE: Why is the Europa League final in Baku? How Arsenal vs Chelsea came to be in Azerbaijan
MORE: Why isn’t Arsenal’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan playing in the Europa League final in Baku?
