When Tottenham and Liverpool take to the pitch on June 1 for the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final, Spurs (the designated home team) will do so wearing their historic “Lilywhites” while Liverpool will be outfitted in iconic red. However, more eagle-eyed observers will notice one distinctly different kit on the pitch: that of the referees.
Slovenian ref Damir Skomina and his assistants, Jure Praprotnik and Robert Vukan, will wear the new threads after UEFA agreed to a deal with Italian sportswear company Macron to provide referee uniforms for all UEFA competitions until 2022.
Here’s Skomina wearing what we used to see when a ref was outfitted in neon blue.
HERE’S THE FUTURE.
As well as having the Macron logo on the chest and shoulders, the new kits show a marked improvement in the one area that matters most for refs — the pockets.
Look how easy the cards slip into those pockets.
“The new jerseys preserve the traditional colors sported by referees: black, neon yellow, neon blue and neon pink. The front of the shirt has a striped design with black details on the crewneck and the sleeve edges (except for the solid black version), and it is accessorized with comfortable front pockets with hook-and-loop fasteners,” says UEFA.