Tuesday, 24 February 2026

Europa League 2025/26 - Referee Appointments - KO Playoffs (Second Legs)

2025-26 UEFA Europa League, referee appointments for the second legs of KO Play-offs.



Thursday  26 February 2026

18:45 CET - Budapest (Groupama Arena)
FERENCVÁROSI TC (HUN) - PFK LUDOGORETS 1945 (BUL) 
Referee: Christopher Kavanagh ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel Cook ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Ian Hussin ENG 
Fourth Official: Darren England ENG
Video Assistant Referee: Stuart Attwell ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Peter Bankes ENG 
UEFA Referee Observer: Gianluca Rocchi ITA 
UEFA Delegate: Rodney Pisani MLT

18:45 CET - Plzeň (Doosan Arena)
FC VIKTORIA PLZEŇ (CZE) - PANATHINAÏKÓS AO (GRE) 
Referee: Donatas Rumšas LTU 
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš LTU 
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedelis LTU 
Fourth Official: Manfredas Lukjančukas LTU 
Video Assistant Referee: Dennis Johan Higler NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Jeroen Manschot NED
UEFA Referee Observer: Martin Hansson SWE 
UEFA Delegate: Paul Tompkins ENG

18:45 CET - Belgrade (Stadion Rajko Mitić)
FK CRVENA ZVEZDA (SRB)  - LOSC LILLE (FRA) 
Referee: Anthony Taylor ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Gary Beswick ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Nunn ENG 
Fourth Official: Samuel Barrott ENG
Video Assistant Referee: Michael Salisbury ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Matthew Donohue ENG
UEFA Referee Observer: Stavros Tritsonis GRE 
UEFA Delegate: Alpaslan Kavas TUR

18:45 CET - Stuttgart (MHPArena)
VFB STUTTGART (GER)  - CELTIC FC (SCO) 
Referee: Irfan Peljto BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Senad Ibrišimbegović BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Davor Beljo BIH
Fourth Official: Miloš Gigovic BIH
Video Assistant Referee: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Frank De Bleeckere BEL 
UEFA Delegate: Luis Cuervas Del Real ESP

21:00 CET - Genk (Cegeka Arena)
KRC GENK (BEL)  - GNK DINAMO (CRO) 
Referee: Felix Zwayer GER
Assistant Referee 1: Robert Kempter GER
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Dietz GER 
Fourth Official: Florian Badstübner GER
Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert GER 
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Sören Storks GER 
UEFA Referee Observer: Vladimir Petrov UKR
UEFA Delegate: Armen Minasyan ARM

21:00 CET - Vigo (Abanca-Balaídos)
REAL CLUB CELTA DE VIGO (ESP)  - PAOK FC (GRE)  
Referee: Marco Guida ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Giorgio Peretti ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Giusepp Perrotti ITA 
Fourth Official: Matteo Marcenaro ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Michael Fabbri ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA 
UEFA Referee Observer: John Ward IRL
UEFA Delegate: Mark Bos NED 

21:00 CET - Bologna (Stadio Renato Dall'Ara) 
BOLOGNA FC 1909 (ITA)  - SK BRANN (NOR)
Referee: Benoît Bastien FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Hicham Zakrani FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Aurélien Berthomieu FRA
Fourth Official: Bastien Dechepy FRA
Video Assistant Referee: Jérôme Brisard FRA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Pol van Boekel NED 
UEFA Referee Observer: Kenneth William Clark SCO
UEFA Delegate: Joseph O'Brien IRL

21:00 CET - Nottingham (City Ground)
NOTTINGHAM FOREST FC (ENG) - FENERBAHÇE (TUR) 
Referee: Maurizio Mariani ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Daniele Bindoni ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Tegoni ITA 
Fourth Official: Matteo Marchetti ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Daniele Chiffi ITA 
UEFA Referee Observer: Herbert Fandel GER  
UEFA Delegate: Paolo Rondelli SMR
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10 comments:

  1. Hans 124 February 2026 at 09:38

    Zwayer's appointment in Genk could mean: a) being kept in the background as a potential Champions League final referee; b) being demoted due to his recent matches with many OFRs (Offending Referees).

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    Replies
    1. marko24 February 2026 at 09:52

      Zwayer not able to handle the CL Final. Something wrong in German refereeing system nowadays after Merk,Stark,Brych eras. IMO Zwayer' s personality not enough for a heated match. And i must to add the final will be in Budapest where will be a lot of hungarian. Im sure if german referee will handle the final they wil give a "warm" welcome. (Zwayer,Osmers and Stieler performances in past years with Hungarian National Team and club teams.)

      Delete
    2. Chefren24 February 2026 at 10:07

      After his group stage, it seems like a very clear choice to me, even easily predicted, it's hard to question it or think about anything else. After the matches he officiated, would you really give the Champions League final to Zwayer? It honestly seems very strange to me that some peoplee are unable to see reality for what it simply is.
      I have to admit that in recent times there seems to be a certain meritocracy in the assignments: referees who perform well move forward, while others who don't deliver at the highest level end up paying the price in some way. All of this starting from Euro 2024, a real positive turning point in Letexier's rise, just to make a nem, at the partial expense of Turpin, although the other French then recovered very well afterward.
      That's how the committee thinks. And in fact, one could say that already officiating this match for Zwayer, with maybe a chance of going on to the Champions League afterward, even if only for one match, if things go well, is already something very good for him, given the path he followed.
      During the league-phase they continued to appoint him to see how he would have done, now, after winter break, time for drawing some conclusions in the middle.

      Delete
    3. Chefren24 February 2026 at 10:08

      But of course I must disagree with the Hungarian comment by Marko, absolutely no place here for that, if committee wants to appoint Zwayer for CL final, these arguments would be 100% ignored. All referees would be welcomed!

      Delete
    4. marko24 February 2026 at 10:29

      Chefren please let allow to me my opinion in the blog. This is what I feel and what I think, and I wrote about it as my opinion not as fact as you thought. If I dont allow that you should close this kind of blog with comment section . :) ( Btw are you Rosetti ? " these arguments would be 100% ignored" You are talking this as fact while you are not named Roberto, sou you cant to be sure about that) :)

      Delete
    5. Hans 124 February 2026 at 10:42

      Chefren, you're 100% right. Marko, if you, as a Hungarian, have a problem with German referees, that's fine too. But since there's certainly no Hungarian team in the final, there will only be a few Hungarian spectators. Which referee officiates the final depends on their performance, not on whether you like the referee or not.

      Delete
    6. Zwayerbrazil24 February 2026 at 11:04

      Marko to your knowledge, Felix had Hungary x Turkey in the nations league playoff last year. So being in Hungary is no problem for him :). Should add, more respect to him its welcomed and appreciated.

      Delete
  2. Γιαννακίδης Ιωάννης24 February 2026 at 10:04

    Rumsas against Panathinaikos !!!!!! Rumsas last July in qualification round against Rangers , had a very very bad performance. He booked with 2 YC Vagianides, now in Sporting Lisboa, he tolerated the Scots' tough play without booking..Rangers was qualified but eliminited in the next round by FC Bruges 1-3 and 0-6, also eliminited in Europa Leaque group phase, 32nd place !!!!!

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  3. Chefren24 February 2026 at 11:06

    The assignment in EL for Kavanagh should give us final confirmation that his previous game in Conference League was a replacement for Brooks. We don't see the latter anymore and he is injured again.
    Taylor in Serbia, main argument is the one you already discussed on the blog, he doesn't have many options as he can't officiate most of teams from big countries, but at least until WC, he should get something.
    Regular assignments for Rumsas and Bastien: the French is definitely more liked by Rosetti than the past. Not a top Elite referee, but surely now he can be expected in more games than the past.
    Peljto will starts from Europa League, after the game in CL in Copenhagen. My idea about the Bosnian is that in case of good performance in Stuttgart, he could get a CL appearance.
    But maybe only one? His season, after the Conference League final one yar ago, has been a bit below standard, not terrible, but not good indeed, and he had some unlucky incidents in his games.
    Having already said about Zwayer, of course one would have expected Italian referees, and here Guida and Mariani in EL.
    Maybe this has been done also to counterbalance too many CL assignments during league phase for them?
    After first leg scores, the game in Vigo should be considered as more challenging, but having to make an analysis without knowing first legs scores, I would have assessed the tie in Nottingham as more sonorous assignment for a referee (then we know, everything can happen).

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  4. Anonymous24 February 2026 at 13:17

    It might be worth highlighting this: the referees who officiated the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League last season were largely drawn from the same pool that had already handled Round of 32 matches in the competition.

    There were maybe three different names in the Round of 16 at most.

    So yes, it seems possible to move from a Round of 32 appointment in the UEFA Europa League back up to a Round of 16 match in the Champions League — but I’d assume a referee would need to perform exceptionally well. Or UCL referees need to make mistakes.

    ReplyDelete

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