ITV expert Christina Unkel has done it all.
The American, 37, will be gracing our screens as a refereeing analyst throughout Euro 2024.
And it is hard to think of anybody more qualified to talk us through the inevitable VAR controversies.
Unkel’s refereeing career started when she was just 10.
The youngster’s coach Bob Harris – a referee and assessor – told her to stop shouting at officials, who she felt were not paying enough attention to girls’ games.
Told she could either take a course or stop voicing her opinions, Unkel became a certified US Soccer Referee in Cape Coral, Florida.
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“I could ref two games and make $40 and have all the concession stand food you could want,” she said in an interview with Stetson University.
“For me, it was kind of a no brainer. It was something where I could play and practice soccer and then on my off-days referee. I ended up falling in love with it.”
The rising star continued to play as well and featured at the collegiate level for Palm Beach Atlantic University, where she unfortunately suffered a torn ACL.
After recovering while at Stetson University College of Law, Unkel began travelling to referee and ended up overseeing over 80 professional games while continuing her studies.
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“I would go to school, then on Friday afternoons I would fly out to some place and do a game and then fly back on Sunday evening to go back to school on Monday,” she told the University’s website.
Unkel received her FIFA badge in 2013 at just 25 years old – the youngest possible age.
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She has been involved with VAR since its introduction in the MLS in 2017.
The former whistler is a refereeing analyst on the CBS Champions League show, which has soared in popularity on both sides of the pond.
Unkel regularly features alongside host Kate Abdo, Thierry Henry, Micah Richards and Jamie Carragher.
She has now replaced Mark Clattenburg on ITV and made her debut as Germany hammered Scotland.
As well as working for ITV and CBS, Christina previously worked at Fox Sports and Paramount+ and has also been a journalist for The Athletic.
A qualified attorney, Unkel is the president and general counsel for the Tampa Bay Sun – an expansion team who will enter the USL Super League this year.
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She describes herself as an entrepreneur and has co-founded multiple businesses, including Scorch Fitness and the Deadlift Effect, sports science and strength training firms.
She is married to current MLS referee Ted, with the couple having one daughter, Quinn.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
