2025/26 UEFA Champions League: the third and last set of MD1 games, to be played on Thursday 18 September 2025.
Thursday 18 September 2025
18:45 CET - Bruges (Jan Breydelstadion)
CLUB BRUGGE (BEL) - AS MONACO FC (FRA)
Referee: Simone Sozza ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Alessio Berti ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Davide Imperiale ITA
Fourth Official: Davide Massa ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Howard Webb ENG
UEFA Delegate: Patricia González García ESP
18:45 CET - Copenhagen (Parken - Connected by 3)
FC KØBENHAVN (DEN) - BAYER 04 LEVERKUSEN (GER)
Referee: Əliyar Ağayev AZE
Assistant Referee 1: Zeynal Zeynalov AZE
Assistant Referee 2: Akif Əmirəli AZE
Fourth Official: Elçin Məsiyev AZE
Video Assistant Referee: Rob Dieperink NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Alen Borošak SVN
UEFA Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav BIH
UEFA Delegate: Paul Daniel Zaharia ROU
21:00 CET - Manchester (Etihad Stadium)
MANCHESTER CITY FC (ENG) - SSC NAPOLI (ITA)
Referee: Felix Zwayer GER
Assistant Referee 1: Robert Kempter GER
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Dietz GER
Fourth Official: Florian Badstübner GER
Video Assistant Referee: Christian Dingert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Marián Ružbarský SVK
UEFA Delegate: Nils Øyvind Fisketjønn NOR
21:00 CET - Frankfurt am Main (Deutsche Bank Park)
EINTRACHT FRANKFURT (GER) - GALATASARAY (TUR)
Referee: Marco Guida ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Giorgio Peretti ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Giuseppe Perrotti ITA
Fourth Official: Daniele Chiffi ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Dennis Johan Higler NED
UEFA Referee Observer: Jon Eilif Skjervold NOR
UEFA Delegate: István Huszár HUN
21:00 CET - Lisbon (Estádio José Alvalade)
SPORTING CP (POR) - QAİRAT FK (KAZ)
Referee: Damian Sylwestrzak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Paweł Sokolnicki POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Karasewicz POL
Fourth Official: Marcin Kochanek POL
Video Assistant Referee: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Pol van Boekel NED
UEFA Referee Observer: Carlos Velasco Carballo ESP
UEFA Delegate: Dane Jošt SVN
21:00 CET - Newcastle upon Tyne (St. James’ Park)
NEWCASTLE UNITED FC (ENG) - FC BARCELONA (ESP)
Referee: Glenn Nyberg SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderkvist SWE
Fourth Official: Adam Ladebäck SWE
Video Assistant Referee: Jérôme Brisard FRA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bram Van Driessche BEL
UEFA Referee Observer: Jan Willem Wegereef NED
UEFA Delegate: Arturs Gaidels LVA
So no Marciniak, Turpin or Vincic for match day 1 don’t really know if it’s a surprise but probably unexpected for me.
ReplyDeleteThey will definitely get big names on MD2 and MD3 because some elite referees have U20 WC then
Delete*games
DeleteAll in all I like and appreciate the appointments done for MD1 around the three days; as top referees Marciniak, Turpin, Vincic and (let me add) Makkelie, Massa and Eskas are out but it's more than reasonable to save them for the top matches on MD2, when Guzubuyuk, Siebert, Stieler and Bastien can be used for medium level matches. On MD2 I really hope to see Makkelie in Istanbul for Galatasaray-Liverpool, Turpin in Chelsea-Benfica, Marciniak in Barca-PSG, Vincic in Napoli-Sporting, Eskas in Villareal-Juve and Massa in Dortmund-Athletic. Marseille-Ajax, Arsenal-Olympiakos, Monaco-City, Leverkusen-PSV could fit Siebert, Stieler, Guzubuyuk and Bastien. The only missing name should be PInheiro considering that he will be out for mD2 and MD3 for FIFA U20WC, but he had Super Cup final too so fair enough. Good luck to all name !
Delete*Good luck to all nameS
DeleteI don’t know why, but many comments are always of the same kind. People expect the big names, or at least certain referees, to appear in every Champions League Matchday. With 8 matchdays to play and a long journey ahead, it's normal that they won't appear in all of them, in fact, it's better to save potentially stronger names for later rounds. It's actually good to see something new at the start of the first matchday. So it's not a surprise for me if we don't read those names; rather, it's necessary, otherwise we would end up seeing as always only Marciniak, Vincic, Turpin, and so on… People nowadays conceptually associate only a pair of Elite referees with the Champions League games, and I think this is also partly the result of how the committe managed appointments in past. Now I think they are probably reviewing a bit for this reason.
DeletePinheiro could have got a game because he will go to FIFA Under 20 in Chile but I think in his case the argument is that he got, as only referee, Supercup + CL Play Off (and a WC Qualifier as well), so maybe enough before his break.
I fully agree and indeed it's what I meant on my previous comment: good to leave some big names for the next matchdays but much more good to see, finally, new names like as Sozza and Sylvestrak; personally I would see some more new names again like as Saggi, Minankovic, Krogh, Beaton, Walsh and Petrescu. We need rotation and we need to create a new generation of elite. Watching at 4th official, it's wired that Sozza is supported by Massa (elite), whole Sylvestrak by and unknown "Kochanek"
DeleteI agree with all of you but that was not really the case last year (if I remember well) where vincic was almost use every match day and the biggest names also. It’s was just to point that out and maybe they will get a game every match day from 2 to 8.
DeleteThe uefa committee referee become the place of favoritism and nepotism for the Italian referee ، how to explain absence for any Portuguese or Netherlands referee
ReplyDeleteWith all my respect, but your comment is a complete nonsense…
DeleteNo it is not nonsense it is reality , three Italian referee what is the message that every understand
DeleteDo we think kavanagh will get a game in this years champions League
ReplyDeleteYes. Perhaps only one or two league phase matches, but I'm sure he will. Given so many English teams, not having groups must help him have a chance, but I imagine most English would have more of a chance in other comps, given that Oliver and Taylor have to be fitted in somehow
DeleteAlways vincic......Präsident is from slovenia....always Italien referees....Chef is Rosetti
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see Nyberg back in the big games after his absence during the pre-La Liga phase (likely due to injury or some personal reason). And for the first time, he'll be refereeing Barcelona. A great match for the Swede.
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry for Halil Umut Meler. He was destined to become a world-class referee, but after that punch he received in the Turkish league after the game his career took a downward turn.
ReplyDeleteAnd not only that. Probably after the controversial match between Brugge and Atalanta, the committee's confidence in the Turk seems to be shaken. And regarding Eastern European players in the elite category, the committee seems more interested at the moment in promoting Rumsas (if he performs well in Bilbao) than in counting on Meler. Unfortunately, this tends to demotivate him.
DeleteEvery referees makes big mistakes, especially Vincic, Kovacs and Eskas, but these referees are constantly protected by UEFA and are appointed always in important games. this is not fair
DeleteEvery referees makes little and big mistakes. But you cannot evaluate a referee by just one or two big mistakes, but on his usual capability to lead and manage a match, to be influential and reliable on technical and disciplinary decision.
DeleteObservers and referees have been appointed for several MD2 matches. The Barcelona–PSG match, among others, is still pending.
ReplyDeleteInter – Slavia Prague: Uno Tutk (EST)
Atleti – Frankfurt: Irvine (NIR)
Pafos – Bayern: Cantalejo (ESP)
Chelsea – Benfica: Svilokos (CRO)
Bodø/Glimt – Tottenham: Deaconu (ROU)
Galatasaray – Liverpool: González Vázquez (ESP)
Union SG – Newcastle: Rizzoli (ITA)
Qarabağ-Copenhagen: Jareci (ALB)
Napoli-Sporting: Hansson (SWE)
Dortmund-Athletic: Ingvarsson (SWE)