Champions League Final 2022: what is the peace message on the ball - and who are the match officials?

The showpiece event kicks off at 8pm on Saturday, 28 May
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The Champions League Final 2022 takes place in just a matter of hours, and Liverpool fans everywhere will be nervously waiting for kick off.

The final will be Liverpool’s last match of what has been a dramatic campaign that has seen the Reds win the FA Cup, League Cup and miss out on the Premier League title by one point on the last day of the season.

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Jurgen Klopp’s men will be hoping to add a second Champions League title in four years to this season’s accolades when battle commences against Real Madrid in Paris.

Ahead of the final, here’s what you need to know about who the match officials are,, the format of the final, and the peace message which will be displayed on the match ball.

When is the 2022 UEFA Champions League final?

The message of peace on the Champions League Final 2022 ball (Photo: Adidas) The message of peace on the Champions League Final 2022 ball (Photo: Adidas)
The message of peace on the Champions League Final 2022 ball (Photo: Adidas)

The final of the 2022 Champions League kicks off at 8pm UK time on Saturday, May 28, at the Parc de France in Paris.

What is the 2022 match ball?

The official Champions League Final 2022 match ball was released by designers Adidas in the run up to the big day.

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The ball will feature a message of peace, with ‘мир’ in Cyrillic script - which can be translated as ‘peace’ inscribed on the ball.

This sits above the word ‘peace’ in English.

A spokesperson for Adidas said: The ball is designed to carry a simple message of peace, belonging, and hope that will be passed from player to player with every kick of the ball and beyond the Stade de France to the furthest corners of the world.

The Champions League Final 2022 ball and the Champions League Trophy (Photo: Adidas)The Champions League Final 2022 ball and the Champions League Trophy (Photo: Adidas)
The Champions League Final 2022 ball and the Champions League Trophy (Photo: Adidas)

“The broader design of the ball is noticeably devoid of colour, featuring pure white panels to symbolise truce and unity.”

Gonzalo Calvo, global director of brand communications, communities and culture at Adidas said:Throughout its history, the love of the game has brought people from all over the world together through one simple object – a football. We are energised more than ever to support the incredible players and clubs that are elevating this platform for the betterment of the game, and world – particularly at grassroots levels.”

Who are the match officials for the final?

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Frenchman Clément Turpin, 39, has been selected as the match referee for this year’s Champions League final.

An international referee since 2010, Turpin will be officiating at his first UEFA Champions League final, after serving as fourth official in the 2018 final. He has refereed seven UEFA Champions League matches as of the play-off round, this season, including the quarter-final first leg between Chelsea and Real Madrid.

Last season, he refereed the UEFA Europa League final.

Turpin will be assisted by fellow Frenchmen Nicolas Danos and Cyril Gringore, while another Frenchman, Benoît Bastien, will be fourth official.

The VAR role has been assigned to Jérôme Brisard (France), and he will be assisted by Willy Delajod (France) and two Italians, Massimiliano Irrati and Filippo Meli.

What is the format of the Champions League final?

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If the Champions League final is level after 90 minutes, then an extra 30 minutes of extra time will be played.

If the teams still can’t be separated, then the final will then be decided with a penalty shootout.

Each team will select an initial group of five penalty takers, and if the shootout reaches a sudden death phase each of the remaining players who finished extra time can also take a penalty until a winner is decided.