Glenn Nyberg (Säter, 10-12-1988) has been chosen by UEFA to direct the match that will take place on Monday against Spain and Albania in Düsseldorf with the Albanians at home and the Spanish playing in yellow.
International since 2016 and in the Swedish football elite since 2013, it will be the first time he leads the senior Spanish team. Not so for Luis de la Fuente’s teams. Nyberg was the referee of the Spanish defeat against Portugal in the semifinals of the 2021 Euro under 21: 0-1, with Cucurella and Zubimendi on De la Fuente’s team. Before, in September 2017, with Celades as under-21 coach, he whistled the 0-1 victory in Estonia for a team that included Rodri, Merino, Oyarzabal and Unai Simón.
This season he led the defeat of Sevilla against Arsenal in Nervión (0-1).
It will also be his first match with the Albanians, a country with which he has never crossed paths in any category, be it in national teams or clubs. The one of Düsseldorf It will be their second match in this Euro after Romania 3-Ukraine 0.
Romania 3-0 Ukraine: summary and goals | Euro Cup (J1)
He came to the world of refereeing from his love of football and his work as a teacher. After finishing his studies, he began to take money home from the ICA supermarkets, the Swedish food giant. He then moved into a thermal insulation industry and stuck his head into the school system as a substitute teacher. That was where he decided to focus 100% on being an elite referee.
In his house, football was always a reference. His father He was also a referee with a FIFA badge. Glenn He says that on Saturdays he would sit in front of the television to watch games at 12 in the morning and finish at eleven at night. She had to change that madness when her children came into her life.
Referees also have their quirks. In addition to the routine of studying the teams and meeting with your team a couple of hours before the ball rolls, Nyberg and theirs have their ritual. He ties three double knots to the laces and then tucks it inside. One of his assistants often murmurs his mantra for 30 seconds with a towel over his head. “I do not know what he says, but mutters to himself for 30 seconds. It’s quite original and it works. Then, as a team, we always play some music to relax. But the closer we get to the game, I become: I cheer, I stand up and shout things that are important to us.”
Of the qualities of the ideal referee one stands out: “Be direct and clear. Regardless of the level, it is important that you can say that you are wrong, apologize for having made a mistake. So most players believe it.”
