Omar Artan, the Somali referee who was previously barred from officiating at the World Cup, has been handed the Super Cup final between PSG and Aston Villa in August by Uefa. This announcement was made by Uefa, with no additional details on the circumstances surrounding Artan's selection.
Uefa's head of refereeing, stated that 'Football is made to connect people, and we believe that Omar Artan's involvement in the Super Cup will bring people together.' The Super Cup is set to take place in August, with the specific date yet to be confirmed.
Artan's selection for the Super Cup final comes as a surprise, given his previous issues with officiating at the World Cup. In June, it was reported that Artan had been prevented from officiating due to visa issues in the US. However, Uefa has not commented on whether Artan has since resolved these issues or whether they have been waived for this particular competition.
The Super Cup final is a prestigious competition that brings together the winners of the Champions League and the Europa League. PSG are the current Champions League holders, having won the competition in May. Aston Villa, on the other hand, won the Europa League in the same year.
Omar Artan's involvement in the Super Cup final is set to be closely watched, given his previous issues with officiating at the World Cup. It remains to be seen whether Artan will be able to officiate without any issues this time around.