German referee for Champions League final

GENEVA: Germany's Herbert Fandel will referee the Champions League final between Liverpool and AC Milan in Athens on Wednesday, European football's governing body UEFA said on Monday.

Fandel, an experienced referee at international level since 1998, will be assisted by Carsten Kadach and Volker Wezel, UEFA said in a statement.

The 43 year-old has proved to be something of a bogeyman for Liverpool and a lucky charm for Milan in the past.

Fandel has officiated matches involving AC Milan five times since 2002, all of them victories for the Italian side in which they only conceded one goal.

Liverpool have never scored in three appearances with Fandel, including their 0-1 Champions League defeat at home to Barcelona in March, another defeat and a draw.

Fandel's track record also includes an Under-21 game between Italy and England in 2000, when AC Milan's current star midfielders Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo were on the winning side (2-0) against Liverpool's Jamie Carragher.