Christina Unkel, the CBS rules analyst who regularly features on coverage of the UEFA Champions League, is taking up a new role with ITV. Unkel will work as the rules analyst for the British TV channel during its coverage of the UEFA European Championship. She will provide analysis of referee and VAR decisions during the tournament in ITV’s coverage. It is only available for those in the United Kingdom.
Unkel is part of a talented broadcast crew that is working games for ITV. Ian Wright, Roy Keane, Gary Neville, Karen Carney, Graeme Souness and Eni Aluko are some of the names featured. Assuming it follows the same pattern as CBS’ coverage of the UEFA Champions League, each of the analysts will have the opportunity to ask Unkel questions regarding decisions officials make.
Speaking to World Soccer Talk, Unkel said this is a great opportunity to expand on what has already been impressive TV work in the United States.
“It was exciting, and it was a bit of a surprise. I’ve never worked TV outside of the United States. To tap me as an analyst for what is one of their biggest productions, not just for ITV but for all of the UK, it is not lost on me the gravity of this tournament. I consider it an honor that they found that my ability to break down the difficult refereeing decisions and provide that insight.”
Unkel will be working in Germany, meaning she will be more interactive with the other analysts she is working with.
The leader among TV referee analysts in the United States
Soccer fans in the United Kingdom have several different outlets for referee analysis. For example, the head of the PGMOL, Howard Webb, often discusses Premier League refereeing decisions with Premier League Productions. However, in the United States, no analyst has compared to Christina Unkel. As stated, most would likely know her work with CBS, where she has great back-and-forth with Theirry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards for the UEFA Champions League. She also provided analysis for MLS Season Pass last season.
Apple did not renew Unkel’s contract for the 2024 season. Therefore, she was more available to work with other broadcasters. That opened the door for a temporary move to Europe to work on a British channel’s Euro 2024 coverage.
Unkel, a former FIFA referee, has also worked with FOX to cover the men’s and Women’s World Cup tournaments. Consequently, she is no stranger to this magnitude of a tournament. She will be largely familiar with many of the players in the competition.
Christina Unkel doing more than just working for ITV
In addition to her work as a TV referee analyst, Unkel is also the President of the Tampa Bay Sun. This is the professional women’s soccer team preparing to compete in the inaugural USL Super League. This professional women’s soccer division has eight teams for the inaugural 2024/25 campaign. Unkel is working as the President of the club, meaning she has an array of tasks.
She will briefly step away from the preparations for the first season to work for ITV this summer.
PHOTOS: IMAGO.
