Lisbon native, Pedro Proença, 41, was appointed by UEFA to referee the Spain vs. Italy final at the European Championship on Sunday in Kiev, Ukraine. He is the first Portuguese to officiate the final European Championship.

Proença had been appointed by UEFA to be in charge of this season’s UEFA Champions League final between FC Bayern München and Chelsea London at Allianz Arena, München, Germany, on 19th May 2012.

Born in Lisbon, Proença has refereed in the Portuguese Liga since 1998, and he was promoted to the FIFA international referees list in 2003. In December 2004, Proença officiated his first UEFA Cup match, the second leg of the first round tie between AEK Athens and Gorica.

In 2006–07, Proença was named as the Portuguese Referee of the Year. On 22 June 2011, he was named as “Best Referee” for the 2010–11 season by the Portuguese Football Federation. On 13 May 2012, Proença was chosen to referee the UEFA Champions League Final, between Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

Highlights of his international career also include last year’s UEFA Champions League semifinal at Old Trafford between Manchester United and FC Schalke 04 as well as the fact that he joins, as the only Portuguese, the 2014 FIFA World Cup Prospective List of Referees.

paj.cm