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Slovenian Slavko Vinčić has been appointed to referee the second leg of the Champions League play-off between Real Madrid and Benfica. He is one of the most experienced referees in the international arena, with a consolidated career in the most important European competitions.
However, his name often comes back to the spotlight due to an episode that occurred in 2020 in Bijeljina, in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he was involved in a police operation.
According to reports from the Croatian daily "24Sata", at a party attended by 9 women and 26 men, including Vinčić, police found prostitutes, weapons and narcotics. Authorities confiscated 10 weapons, 14 packages of cocaine and 9 tablets of other drugs.
Following the operation, several people were arrested and questioned by authorities.
In a statement to the Slovenian daily "Vecer", Vinčić stated that he was in that environment by chance and denied any involvement in illegal activities.
"I found myself at that party by chance. I have my own company and I was in Bosnia for a business meeting. I accepted an invitation to dinner that turned out to be my biggest mistake. I'm sorry. I was sitting with my friends when the police arrived. I have nothing to do with the group that was arrested or the business partners. The police took us, we gave our testimonies and when it turned out that we didn't even know each other, they let us go ," he said.
According to later reports, the Slovenian referee was confirmed innocent and no charges were brought against him. He continued his career normally at the highest levels of European judging.
After the 2020 episode, Vinčić continued to earn UEFA's trust in important international matches. The pinnacle of his career came with his appointment as referee of the 2023–2024 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, held at Wembley Stadium.
His appointment for the Real Madrid-Benfica match confirms his status as one of the most highly regarded referees in European football.
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