Björn Kuipers

Domestic career

Kuipers' debut professional domestic match as a referee was a second-tier clash between SC Telstar and MVV at the Rabobank IJmond Stadion in IJmuiden on 20 September 2002. The match ended in a 1–0 victory for Telstar. He was inducted into the A-List of referees of the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) and has refereed in every season of the top-tier Dutch league Eredivisie from 2005. At the domestic level, he has also overseen several important matches as a referee in the Eerste Divisie, the KNVB Beker and the Johan Cruijff Schaal.

Kuipers took charge of his debut professional domestic final when he was chosen to referee the 2009 Johan Cruijff Schaal clash between Heerenveen and AZ at the Amsterdam Arena in Amsterdam on 25 July 2009. AZ went on to win the match 5–1 and secured their maiden Johan Cruijff Schaal title.

Kuipers officiated in the second Dutch Super Cup final of his career when he oversaw the 2012 Johan Cruijff Schaal clash between PSV Eindhoven and Ajax at the Amsterdam Arena in Amsterdam on 5 August 2012. The match ended in a 4–2 victory for PSV, who secured their ninth Johan Cruijff Schaal title.

Kuipers' opportunity to referee his first Dutch Cup final came when he was in charge of the 2013 KNVB Beker Final between AZ and PSV Eindhoven at De Kuip in Rotterdam on 9 May 2013. AZ went on to win the match 2–1 and clinched their fourth KNVB Beker title.

Kuipers got the chance to oversee his second Dutch Cup final came when he was selected to take charge of the 2016 KNVB Beker Final between Feyenoord and Utrecht at De Kuip in Rotterdam on 24 April 2016. Feyenoord went on to secure a 2–1 victory and clinched their twelfth KNVB Beker title.

International career

Kuipers was awarded his FIFA badge in 2006. During the initial stages of his career, Kuipers officiated in junior-level tournaments like the UEFA European Under-17 Championship and the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. In June 2009, he was inducted into the UEFA Elite group of referees and became eligible to officiate at the highest level within European football. Kuipers has since then taken charge of several big matches in major tournaments such as the UEFA Europa League, the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA European Championship, the FIFA Confederations Cup and the FIFA World Cup.

During the initial stages of his career, Kuipers refereed the 2006 UEFA European Under-17 Championship Final between Czech Republic and Russia in Luxembourg on 14 May 2006 and also the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Final between Germany and England in Sweden on 29 June 2009.

During the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup, Kuipers was appointed to referee the semi-final match between TP Mazembe and Internacional at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on 14 December 2010.

Kuipers officiated in the first major senior European final of his career when he was appointed to referee the 2011 UEFA Super Cup clash between Barcelona and Porto at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on 26 August 2011.

During the UEFA Euro 2012, he refereed the Group C match between Republic of Ireland and Croatia at the Stadion Miejski in Poznań. He was also in charge of the Group D match between co-hosts Ukraine and France at the Donbass Arena in Donetsk, where he had to take the rare step of suspending the match due to a torrential electrical storm.

Kuipers took charge of the 2013 UEFA Europa League Final between Benfica and Chelsea at the Amsterdam Arena in Amsterdam on 15 May 2013. In doing so, he became the first referee to officiate in a major UEFA club final in his home nation since Italy's Tullio Lanese in the 1991 European Cup Final in Bari.

During the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, Kuipers refereed the Group B match between Nigeria and Uruguay at the Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador. He was then appointed to take charge of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup Final between Brazil and Spain at the Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro on 30 June 2013.

Kuipers was selected to officiate in the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid at the Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica in Lisbon on 24 May 2014. He became the fourth Dutch referee to oversee a prestigious European Cup Final after Leo Horn, Charles Corver and Dick Jol.

During the 2014 FIFA World Cup, he oversaw the Group D match between England and Italy at the Arena da Amazônia in Manaus as well as the Group E match between Switzerland and France at the Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador. He went on to referee the Round of 16 clash between Colombia and Uruguay at the Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro on 28 June 2014.

During the UEFA Euro 2016, he was in charge of the Group C match between Germany and Poland at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis and also the Group D match between Croatia and Spain at the Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux in Bordeaux. Kuipers was then appointed to referee the quarter-final clash between hosts France and Iceland at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on 3 July 2016.

Personal life

Björn Kuipers was born on 28 March 1973 at Oldenzaal in the Netherlands. His father was a football referee at the amateur level. Kuipers studied business administration the Radboud University Nijmegen and besides refereeing he is also the owner of a number of supermarkets and a hair studio in his hometown Oldenzaal.