Age 'no barrier to Champions League Final ref's authority'

Wolverhampton's Jack Taylor today dismissed suggestions that Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai is too young to take charge of tonight's Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United.

Kassai, 35, will become the youngest referee in the history of Champions League finals, surpassing record holder Pierluigi Collina, who was 39 when he took charge the showpiece event.

But despite the fact that Kassai is younger than United stars Ryan Giggs (37), Edwin van der Sar (40) and Paul Scholes (36) former World Cup referee Taylor believes he should be judged on his ability on the pitch.

"At the end of the day it doesn't matter how old you are, it's how good you are as a referee that counts," said Taylor.

"I have every confidence that whoever is selected to do the job will be a top-class referee and one of the best qualified in the world for a match of this size.

"But age should not be barrier. If someone is 25 and has proved they are good enough then I would have no objections to them doing the final although refs tend to peak between 35 and 45.

"It will be a game where the stakes are high but hopefully it will be a football contest and played in the right manner which should make the job of the referee a lot easier. There are some fantastic footballers on show.

"While the ref will want to keep control of the game he will also want the players to produce a spectacle for everyone who is watching.

"It can be a little daunting when you know your every decision will be scrutinised and watched by so many cameras but that is part of the game now and you cannot let it affect you."

Taylor took charge of the 1971 European Cup final at Wembley between Ajax and Panathinaikos, also played at Wembley, and admitted the match is one to savour for players and officials alike.

"To play in something like the European Cup final is one of the ultimate ambitions for a player," added Taylor.

"Also as a referee you want to do these big games and doing a game like this will probably be close to the pinnacle of this guy's career.

"I was lucky enough to do the European Cup final and also the World Cup final as well and I just hope the game passes without incident for him."