German Dentist to Referee Euro 2004 Final

Markus Merk, a dentist from the city of Kaiserslautern, will officiate at the final match at the Euro 2004 soccer championships at Lisbon's Estadio da Luz, according to an announcement on the Web site of UEFA, European soccer's ruling body. The 42-year-old, who has been refereeing games since his teens, was appointed after the German national team was eliminated at the group stage last week. Merk is the second German to control a major tournament final. In 1970, East German Rudi Glückner officiated the World Cup final between Brazil and Italy. Merk has been a referee for 16 years in the German national league and 12 years on the international level. Of his refereeing the final, Merk said: "Everybody wants it and it is the peak of my career, without a doubt."