Rosetti will complete refereeing double in final

Italian referee Roberto Rosetti will complete a unique double today, taking charge of the Euro 2008 final 22 days after refereeing the opening game.

Rosetti, 40, will be the first referee to do so at a European Championship. Two years ago Argentina's Horacio Elizondo became the first to take charge of the opening game and final of a World Cup.

"I know it hasn't happened much before but I never thought after getting the opening game that my chances for the final were over," Rosetti told reporters after his appointment was confirmed.

"Of course, it's a great honour for me and a very important day in my life. I am a referee and so the final of the European Championship is a wonderful situation."

Rosetti, a Turin-based hospital administrator who towers above many players with his 1.90-metre tall frame, gained his first experience at a major international tournament as a last-minute replacement at the 2006 World Cup.

He took charge of four matches at the German tournament, including France's 3-1 victory over Spain.

After refereeing the Czech Republic's 1-0 win over Switzerland in the opening game of Euro 2008, he then presided over Russia's 1-0 group stage victory against Greece and Turkey's quarter-final penalty shoot-out victory over Croatia.

UEFA appoint referees for the latter stages of the tournament based on their nationalities and their previous performances. Rosetti only became available for the final following Italy's elimination to Spain, a result that ended the chances of Spanish referee Manuel Mejuto.

Despite UEFA's assertions that they have chosen the best candidate, Rosetti has not been free from controversy at this tournament.

The Swiss team complained after the opening match that he had ignored a handball in the area by Czech captain Tomas Ujfalusi.

The Greeks also felt aggrieved when Rosetti ruled out what had looked like a valid late equaliser by Angelos Haristeas for offside.

Croatia then argued that he had added on too much stoppage time before Turkey's dramatic late equaliser and overlooked coach Slaven Bilic's attempts to bring on a substitute shortly beforehand.

Rosetti refused to discuss what he termed as "technical matters" when asked about the alleged errors but pointed out that referees were capable of making mistakes "in just the same way as strikers, defenders and goalkeepers do".