SPANISH referee Mateu Lahoz pulled off a neat one-two with Antonio Rudiger during Saturday’s Champions League final.
A slick piece of officiating saw the 44-year-old help up the Chelsea star while casually dishing out a yellow card.
On 57 minutes, Blues ace Rudiger clattered into Kevin De Bruyne, forcing the Manchester City midfielder out of the game and possibly the Euros.
It earned him a booking but only after he received treatment for a knock picked up in the collision.
LaLiga official Lahoz calmly waited for the German to be seen to while holding the card.
And he helped Rudiger to his feet while showing the yellow in one swift, satisfying movement.
Fans were left chuckling by the display, Twitter fan Gaz writing: “Mike Dean could only dream of this.”
Another commented: “Incredible mechanics and leverage technique.”
While Michael tweeted: “It was a GOAT performance.”
It capped a widely-praised performance from Lahoz, who has attracted criticism for his decision making in the past.
CASINO SIGN UP OFFER: CLAIM UP TO £800 IN CASINO BONUS CASH
WIN £50,000 with Dream Team Euros
Dream Team Euros is HERE!
The best fantasy football game to accompany Euro 2020 has arrived.
And you can play absolutely FREE for your chance to win the £50,000 jackpot.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR FREE!
Dream Team Euros
- £50,000 jackpot
- The best fantasy football game this summer
- Play in mini-leagues against your mates, colleagues, family members – and some hand-picked celebrities
- FREE to play
A penalty shout went against City during the 1-0 defeat as Reece James was judged not to have illegally handled the ball in his area.
Speaking before the game, Lahoz stated: “Honestly, I never really imagined that, one day, I would referee a Champions League final.
“Refereeing is happiness for me. And I think the key to being a referee is to always be yourself.
“When you referee a match, you’re taking charge of many different personalities. You’re part of the game, and I think that part of your job is trying to help the players and coaches.
“If you can do this and be relaxed, then you’ll relax them, you can communicate together, and making decisions can be much easier.”
⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
