2025/26 UEFA Europa Conference League, referee appointments for Quarterfinals (First Legs).
19:00 CET - Madrid (Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas)
RAYO VALLECANO DE MADRID (ESP) - AEK (GRE)
Referee: Benoît Bastien FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Hicham Zakrani FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Aurélien Berthomieu FRA
Fourth Official: Jérémie Pignard FRA
Video Assistant Referee: Bram Van Driessche BEL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bastien Dechepy FRA
UEFA Referee Observer: László Vagner HUNAssistant Referee 2: Aurélien Berthomieu FRA
Fourth Official: Jérémie Pignard FRA
Video Assistant Referee: Bram Van Driessche BEL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bastien Dechepy FRA
UEFA Delegate: Colin MacDonald SCO
21:00 CET - Mainz (Mewa Arena)
1. FSV MAINZ 05 (GER) - RC STRASBOURG ALSACE (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež SVN
Fourth Official: Martin Matoša SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Matej Jug SVN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Alen Borošak SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež SVN
Fourth Official: Martin Matoša SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Matej Jug SVN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Alen Borošak SVN
UEFA Referee Observer: Michael Argyrou CYP
UEFA Delegate: Gijs De Jong NED
21:00 CET - London (Selhurst Park)
CRYSTAL PALACE FC (ENG) - ACF FIORENTINA (ITA)
Referee: Donatas Rumšas LTUAssistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis LTU
Fourth Official: Manfredas Lukjančukas LTU
Video Assistant Referee: Rob Dieperink NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Erwin Blank NED
UEFA Referee Observer: Itchko Lozev BUL
UEFA Delegate: Thibault De Gendt BEL
21:00 CET - Krakow, POL (Stadion Miejski im. Henryka Reymana)
SHAKHTAR DONETSK (UKR) - AZ ALKMAAR (NED)
Referee: Nicholas Walsh SCO
Assistant Referee 1: Francis Connor SCO
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel McFarlane SCO
Fourth Official: Donald Robertson SCO
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel McFarlane SCO
Fourth Official: Donald Robertson SCO
Video Assistant Referee: Stuart Attwell ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Kevin Clancy SCO
UEFA Referee Observer: Darko Čeferin SVN
UEFA Delegate: Zgjim Sojeva KOS
The path of the new elite referees is continuing, and almost all of them are doing well. Best game in this set of four for me is Crystal Palace - Fiorentina, because Italian team involved, to follow the one in Mainz, nice German - French clash (Obrenovic).
ReplyDeleteI see that among the new Elite, the Scottish seems to be so far the most protected one by committee: very careful assignments for him, the most hidden and calm ones, I would say.
And in Madrid, Bastien, confirmation that he is now a name rather liked by committee for what he did in recent times, differently from the past.
Completely agree Chefren regarding Walsh, would like to hope that certainly next season as I suspect this is his last UEFA middle of the season that he is given more hostile or challenging assignments. Given his extensive experience of handling hostile derbies in Scotland, I would like to see him given that same test on the European stage (not a top top clash where youd expect a Kovacs or Turpin but somewhere that will test him appropriately)
DeleteI think obviously it depends on how well they perform, however I believe this is as fa r as most NEW elites will come in European competitions this season, but hopefully I’m wrong because they have been doing well.
ReplyDeleteConference league second legs
ReplyDeleteMay be
Vallecano vs aek Athens: taylor
Fiorentina vs palace: jablonski
Alkamar vs shakhtar: stieler
Strasborg vs mainz : eric lambrechts
pinheiro too.
DeleteHe will be
DeleteLiverpool vs Paris
Taylor in Conference league? Highly unlikely. You would be dreaming if you think Pinheiro will get Liverpool-PSG. Pinheiro isn't getting any UCL appointment this season anymore. Realize that and have peace
DeleteI like these choices by Abiaziz and they all make sense!
DeleteI wonder if it would make more sense for Taylor to do Betis-Braga though.
Maybe Pinheiro will be in Liverpool on the stands, but certaintly not in the middle.
DeleteI can't understand how such a weak referee like Rumsas keeps on getting appointments
ReplyDeleteThe change in the Slovenian VAR stakes that I predicted (and to be fair was quite obvious) seems to be confirmed with the Mainz-Strasbourg appointment. Quite nice and logical assignment strategy with the referees in this competition, well done to UEFA.
ReplyDeleteRayo's second goal was disallowed for offside, Rayo striker was somewhat obstructing keeper's view but I think keeper had no chance to save the shot anyway. For me the goal should have stood.
ReplyDeleteRAY-AEK
ReplyDelete‘17 YC AEK manager
‘18 Management of dissent
‘19 Good advantage near the box
‘22 OFR interfering with GK. Goal disallowed.
‘27 Reckless foul
‘30 Good management
‘35 Collission GK. Correct no foul
‘38 Advantage play
‘45+2 Correct onside before 2-0
Blatant yellow card missed by Walsh 11’
ReplyDeleteYes indeed. Replay shows how ugly this foul was
Delete
ReplyDeletePK + YC given by Rumsas in Selhurst Park
https://streambug.org/cv/502aea
Very good decision by the Lithuanian referee....
DeleteA very good first half from Walsh who is in full control, but a very poor decision not to produce a yellow card in the 11th minute.
ReplyDeleteSHK-AZ
ReplyDeleteGood performance by Walsh, albeit the game was fair and easy going.
11’ Step on ankle, missed YC
48’ Correct YC, good spot just outside the box
75’ Interesting box incident. Not clear from replays if SHK defender touched the ball. Full hit AZ#10 on the instep.
Has anybody see Rayo Vallecano penalty against AEK for handball? At first Bastien let the game to be played but after OFR he overturned his decision to PK.
ReplyDeleteIncomprehensible to me. The player stumbled and, as he fell, braced himself without moving sideways. Then his supporting hand was hit.
DeleteBastien's performance was way under par, especially in the second half. Does age tell? He stuck to a radius of 25-30 metres from the center spot, even digonal movement was missing. In the first half he brandished the yellow card just once - to AEK's coach, Marko Nicolic (17the minute) on the demand of Pignard, the fourth official. Real trouble started in the 59th minute, when he awarded a free-kick to AEK after a long delay. Then he "found" the yellow card (61st minute) showing it to Varga (AEK) after a super-minor infringement (it looked like Bastien was influenced by Rayo's players close to him). All this was compounded by the penalty decision. As nikart and Hans 1 described, the incident was never a hand-ball and IFAB had even instructed referees not to award a penalty-kick when a player stumbles to the ground and the ball hits the hand which keeps him safe from injuring his chin or nose. Bastien decision to let play on was perfectly right, and VAR Van Drisschle's decision to call him to the monitor was totally wrong. Unfortunately, it seems the picture shown to the ref. was blurred, much less clear than the one we saw on tv; and secondly, monsieur Bastien had no guts to overrule the "recommendation". Sorry for a referee I highly regard after watching him many a time (I was also not astonished when Pignard, a very strict referee in Ligue 1 and in european compenitions, called bastien to admonish AEK's coach after the latter argued with him more than once).
DeleteI just watched the 1st half unfortunately. I saw the classic Bastien: great foul detection, but somehow players don’t accept all his decisions, even when 100% correct. After the 1st half there was some chaos in the tunnel. The game was a lot more challenging and technical than Walsh his game in Poland.
DeleteSHAKHTAR DONETSK - AZ ALKMAAR
ReplyDelete11' Possible YC 13SHK for reckless step on ankle
https://streamff.link/v/85c0182f
18' Possible YC 17SHK for SPA-illegal use of arm
https://streamff.link/v/630fd894
45+3' PAI holding shortly before the half-time whistle; the subtle tug visible in the last replay could give some doubts but it's difficult to expect an intervention for such a thing
https://streamff.link/v/c2a88e55
48', 59', 64' Correct YCs for reckless tackles
https://streamff.link/v/b4759967
https://streamff.link/v/246a91a0
https://streamff.link/v/af8a1caa
75' PAI tackle; the defending player performs a last-resort tackle in order to block a shot on goal, he is hit with the ball in the foot of his leading leg and causes a contact with the attacking player with his trailing leg. Very borderline incident and I can imagine VAR calling the referee to the monitor but the challenge was still not clearly reckless therefore a play-on call should be accepted
https://streamff.link/v/e2ba792c
In a game of normal difficulty, with long passages without a real challenge, Walsh offered a very strong and firm body language, arousing respect. Aside the big call that should be accepted, it was an expected-level performance.
11' In my opinion the view of the Scottish referee was obstructed here, for sure he didn't see the real point of contact, he thought about a possible reckless but not so evident, and he decided fro that warning. Honestly, I wouldn't even blame him that much, because it's clear how easily you can miss it (still, a mistake of course).
Delete18' I think one can accept NO YC.
45'+3 Supportable decision, defender was very clever here, stopping the action exactly when convenient for him. Only to be whistled by referee but NO VAR intervention, I agree.
75' It's a reckless action after shot on goal, and penalty should have been whistled. What I dislike is that in the lack of consistency we experience in refereeing, another VAR would have called for sure, so how to assess the incident?
However, very good body language by referee, always convinced about his decisions, trying good relations with players, that's nice to see. But I would like to see the Scottish in a very challenging context, this was avoided so far by UEFA, maybe it will happen soon. Seems to have a good approach.
Some clips from Bastien game:
ReplyDelete20' OFR for assessing a potentially punishable offside, disallowed goal
https://streambug.org/cv/e9e144
61' YC for?
https://streambug.org/cv/b87c54
Very strange YC by French referee, at first he didn't want to book, then some Rayo players close to him and he booked the player, rather poor management, very wrong YC.
71' OFR for handball, penalty assigned
https://streambug.org/cv/9094e1
In my opinion they assessed that the defender made deliberately that movement with arm exactly when ball passed, in this way "using" the situation of support for blocking ball. But it's true: not all VAR would have called this one. More and more, one must repeat it's impossible to find uniformity about handballs.
77' Penalty area incident, play on, this time clear gesture by the French
https://streambug.org/cv/7bbed7
61: IMO clear YC. Stamp on the foot
ReplyDelete