Why Harry Kane will be the only England player able to speak Euro 2024 refs

England captain Harry Kane will be the only Three Lions player permitted to talk to referees during Euro 2024 in Germany.

Should anyone else strike up a complaint to an official, they risk a yellow card. Only team captains will be allowed to converse with the officials.

Nations have been asked to ensure that players do not mob referees as they make decisions too. This in turn should ensure a direct line of communication and timely decision-making.

UEFA’s managing director of refereeing, Roberto Rosetti, looked to illustrate the enormity of the task officials face and then pleaded with teams to behave in a respectful manner. In an open letter, Rosetti explained that officials would look to provide greater detail to players and coaches when explaining their decisions.

“Being a referee in the modern game is very difficult,” he said. “”The official in the middle takes between 200 to 250 decisions per match – that is one every 22 seconds – in difficult and sometimes controversial situations, under huge pressure, with each of them scrutinised and re-watched from multiple different angles by fans and pundits alike.

“They (referees) receive a lot of information from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), and we are ready to speak and share more details with the players and coaches to help them understand how a decision was taken.

“Explaining a decision with up to 22 players mobbing you is impossible for a referee. It can lead to a breakdown in communication, with the beautiful game turning very ugly very quickly.

“We ask that all teams ensure their captain is the only player who speaks to the referee. We ask the captains to ensure their team mates do not encroach upon and surround the referee, allowing direct conversations to take place in order that the decision be relayed in a timely and respectful manner.

“Importantly, we want only the captain from the team who wishes to discuss a decision to be able to approach the referee.”

The caveat to UEFA’s request will be if a team’s captain is their goalkeeper. In this instance, an outfield player will be nominated to be the figure to communication with the official over the course of 90 minutes.