Italian Rosetti to ref first Euro 2008 game
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-06-06 14:01

VIENNA - Italian Roberto Rosetti will referee the opening Euro 2008 match between co-hosts Switzerland and Czech Republic on Saturday in Basel in Group A, UEFA said on Thursday.

Fellow Italians Alessandro Griselli and Paolo Calcagno will be the linesmen, following the tournament protocol that all refereeing "teams" will be of the same nationality.

"It is a great honour for me personally and for the Italian federation to be appointed for the opening match," Rosetti told reporters in Regensdorf near Zurich, the headquarters for the Euro 2008 match officials.

"(Fellow Italian) Pierluigi Collina refereed the opening match at Euro 2004 so it is an even more special honour to follow in his footsteps.

"We have worked very hard as a team of officials to referee to the high standards and to be as consistent as possible in all matches and I'm sure that we will obtain the highest standards throughout the tournament."

Tournament organisers released match official details for the first 12 of the 31 games, with Dutchman Pieter Vink taking charge of Austria's first match, against Croatia in Vienna on Sunday.

"These are all top referees and they have been working in these trio language groups for well over a year in the Champions League, which is very important," UEFA spokesman Rob Faulkner told a media briefing on Thursday.