Berlin: FIFA have announced that Argentina's Horacio Elizondo will be the referee for Sunday's World Cup final between three-time champions Italy and 1998 winners France.
Elizondo officiated Portugal's quarter-final victory over England and drew a lot of flak for sending off England striker Wayne Rooney for stepping on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho.
The 42-year-old physical education teacher was also the referee at the opening match between Germany and Costa Rica on June 9.
Dario Garcia and Rodolfo Otero, also of Argentina, have been selected to be the linesmen for the match at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, FIFA general secretary Urs Linsi said on Thursday.
"We've had lots of American, South American and Latin American referees and we've been treated well," said Giancarlo Abete, the chief of Italy's World Cup delegation.
"We've shown a lot of respect for the referee's decisions and those of the disciplinary committee."
Japan's Toru Kamikawa will handle Saturday's third-place match between Germany and Portugal in Stuttgart.
Yoshikazu Hiroshima of Japan and Kim Dae-young of South Korea will be the linesmen.
FIFA vice president Lennart Johansson said Elizondo was a good choice, and he backed the official's decision to send Rooney off against Portugal.
Johansson said he wasn't convinced when he saw the incident live, but after watching TV replays, thought Elizondo made the correct decision.
"I saw his first match and it was good - the less I notice referees, the better a job they're doing," he said.
Johansson said the referees committee had long considered Elizondo a prospect for the final.
Other candidates Graham Poll of England and Valentin Ivanov of Russia were sent home after below-par performances in the earlier stages.
"I have full respect for the referees committee - if they give a referee the opening match and then pick him again for the final, then he and they are doing a good job."
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