Italian Nicola Rizzoli to referee England's Euro 2012 opener against France

England’s first Euro 2012 game against France is to be refereed by Italian Nicola Rizzoli.

Having spent 10 years officiating in Serie A, the European Championship is the 40-year-old's first major tournament.

Three Lions' boss Roy Hodgson will remember Rizzoli after he refereed Fulham’s Europa League final defeat to Atletico Madrid in 2010.

However, he is more likely to be recognised by Manchester United fans after sending off Rafael Da Silva in United’s Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich in 2010.

Sir Alex Ferguson wasn’t happy with the decision blaming "Typical Germans," for influencing Rizzoli’s decision.

Ferguson said: "The ref wasn't going to do anything until they forced him to get a card out. But we've seen that before from teams like that."