Bad luck for Juve but good luck for Ronaldo: who is Bjorn Kuipers the millionaire ref?
Bjorn Kuipers has already refereed Juventus on six occasions however during those game Juventus have won 1, four draws and a defeat. Specifically, Juventus' success came in the semi-final return of the Champions League 2017 against Monaco (2-1), while the only defeat dates back to 2010 when the Bianconeri were beaten by Fulham 4-1 in the Europa League.
Massimiliano Allegri, came across the Dutch referee also in the quarter-finals of the 2011/12 Champions League when he was at the helm of Milan. In the return leg against Barcelona, Kuipers conceded a penalty kick to the Blaugrana for a foul by Nesta to play on Busquets that paved the way for the Spanish comeback.
If Allegri is worried then, Diego Pablo Simeone is probably terrified. In fact, Kuipers has refereed Atletico Madrid several times in recent years and is remembered by Colchoneros for being the referee of the 2014 Champions League final, when Atletico fell to their neighbours falling into extra time.
Of course, lining up for Real Madrid that evening was Ronaldo. The Dutch referee is somewhat of a good luck charm for The Portuguese as in the 5 games officiated by Kuipers and has scored 5 goals, including a goal in the 2014 final.
Who is Kuipers
A rather peculiar character, Bjorn Kuipers, is a millionaire referee. However, he is best known for being the ref that "graced" the first bite of Luis Suarez, at Ajax in 2010, when Suarez bit for the first time an opponent, Otman Bakkal, on the right shoulder.
Kuipers, forty-five years old, with assets estimated at around 12.4 million euros, is considered the richest arbiter in the world. At the base of his fortune the C100, a chain of supermarkets widespread in the Netherlands, with over 500 offices spread across the country and earning revenues estimated at between 2 and 4 million euro annually.