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.
Deletenot to offend any turks here, but football in that country is a complete mess. their federation even carried out a special psy-op not to let Cuneyt Cakir to take part in WC 2022. Also Meler's performance in turkish league is also quite decent - far from any European tournament level
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)
Chevren I have a question for you last two season we don't, see spanish referee handle a match that Portugal team is aside also Portugal referee handle spanish team do you know the reason
ReplyDeleteI don't know the reason. I remember that in past Spanish referees, and Gil Manzano in particular, were very often assigned to Portuguese clubs.
DeleteNot only manzano also artur soares dias can whistle spanish team
DeleteOT: 2026 FWC Qualification - AFC fourth round (Round-robin centralized venues)
ReplyDeleteGroup A (all matches will be played at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar)
Oman - Qatar
Referee: Yusuke Araki (JPN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jun Mihara (JPN)
Assistant Referee 2: Kota Watanabe (JPN)
Fourth Official: Ryo Tanimoto (JPN)
Video Assistant Referee: Jumpei Iida (JPN)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Hiroki Kasahara (JPN)
UAE - Oman
Referee: Alireza Faghani (IRN/AUS)
Assistant Referee 1: George Lakrindis (AUS)
Assistant Referee 2: James Ledensi (AUS)
Fourth Official: Daniel Elder (AUS)
Video Assistant Referee: Shaun Evans (AUS)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Alexander King (AUS)
Qatar - UAE
Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (UZB)
Assistant Referee 1: Andrei Tsapenko (UZB)
Assistant Referee 2: Timur Gaynullin (UZB)
Fourth Official: Rustam Lutfullin (UZB)
Video Assistant Referee: Akrol Riskullaev (UZB)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Firdavs Norsafarov (UZB)
Group B (all matches will be played at King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
Indonesia - Saudi Arabia
Referee: Ahmed Al Ali (KUW)
Assistant Referee 1: Abdulhadi Al Hanzi (KUW)
Assistant Referee 2: Ahmed Abbas (KUW)
Fourth Official: Ammar Ashkanani (KUW)
Video Assistant Referee: Abdullah Jamali (KUW)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Abdullah Al Kandari (KUW)
Iraq - Indonesia
Referee: Ma Ning (CHN)
Assistant Referee 1: Zhou Fei (CHN)
Assistant Referee 2: Zhang Cheng (CHN)
Fourth Official: Shen Yinhao (CHN)
Video Assistant Referee: Fu Ming (CHN)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Sivakorn Pu Udom (THA)
Saudi Arabia - Iraq
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (JOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Muhammad Al Kalaf (JOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Ahmed Al Ruwaili (JOR)
Fourth Official: Ahmed Faisal (JOR)
Video Assistant Referee: Muhammad Taqi Al Jaafari (SIN)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Sivakorn Pu Udom (THA)
After report from ESF iinm about how poor Salman Falahi, atm it's really narrow trusted pool of AFC elite referees, tbh beside Tantashev and Faghani (again and again), I don't think AFC has a good chance of getting a representative in KO-round of FWC. Collina must prepare for this :)
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCorrect PK given by Sozza but for me did not deal with dissent appropriately initially. Correctly IMO cautioned Brugge GK for dissent by action after penalty was saved.
ReplyDeleteCorrect PK? Ball clearly pushed away by goalkeeper
DeleteVideo?
DeleteReaction after the save against Sozza:
Deletehttps://streambug.org/cv/bdcf15
Penalty call: https://streambug.org/cv/9b8789
DeleteHow did VAR not overturn that? It would take 45 seconds to say 'no penalty' in MLS. Are we to believe this is a justifiable penalty call and not "clearly wrong" in UEFA?
DeleteNo penalty and VAR intervention IMO
DeleteSuprised with the silent VAR. Mistake by both Sozza and the VAR imo
DeleteHappy to be corrected but I still think that's a PK, for what it's worth Sozza has grown into the game (admittedly scoreline has helped with that), looks more assured and commanding across the FOP.
ReplyDeleteNothing to report in Copenhagen. Easy game to officiate. I’d like to see the Azeri in a more challenging game.
ReplyDelete19' Crucial moment for Zwayer.
ReplyDeletePlay on decision following a possible DOGSO.
VAR called him, no ball so red card.
Zwayer with a missed RC. Luckily there’s VAR but this is something you cannot miss
ReplyDeleteAt real speed, it's hard to tell whether the ball was played. Good intervention by VAR. That's why VAR exists.
ReplyDeleteVery good Sylwestrzak in Lisbon, very good decision on the field with correct PK
ReplyDeleteA very good referee.. Sure that in the near future the Polish referee will be in Elite Groupe
DeleteNyberg with a good first half, 3 cautions all correct. Good movement around field of play and very calm and assured with a passionate home support.
ReplyDeleteApart from the missed red card, not convincing Zwayer in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteFirst half was fully focused on football, but he didn't give the impression to be in the game. After the OFR, maybe he was still worried about the big mistake he had made.
You’re right, Chefren.
DeleteAnd to be honest, with different evaluation measures and inconceivable tolerance towards MC players with multiple fouls not called, unacceptable for a referee of his level. He seems definitely not focused. Very poor 1st half
Reading yours correctly, it seemed to me an instrument of the orchestra out of tune with all the others. We Italians are aligned
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Delete52' Very clear and mandatory YC for SPA - LoR, correctly issued.
Delete61' Missed YC for evident reckless elbow.
"Since 2017, with Brych, we haven't judged a German refereeing a CL final"
DeleteWith all the respect, that's quite justified and with reason...
The FO in Newcastle is having a hard time!
ReplyDelete..with all substitutions at the same time...
DeleteHis match fee should be doubled
DeleteThere was a goal ruled out by Sozza and his AR1 toward the end of the first half. It would have made it 2-1 Galatasary. I only caught one look on replay but it looked like a suspect decision. Whistle apparently went before the ball was in the net, so no chance for VAR intervention, I think. I'm open to being wrong, and the broadcast didn't dwell on it. But it looked bad.
ReplyDeleteUgh, I meant Guida, not Sozza. My mistake!
DeleteBest Referee of the Week has to be Glenn Nyberg. Very clean and convincing performance, Positioning, body language, fitness, and well managed the game from start to finish with the same energy.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteI agree with you. Nyberg had a solid and steady performance. 6 YCs were applied correctly and without any VAR intervention. Of the big games in this first round, the Swede was the only one not involved in any controversial plays.
DeletePardon Sirs, but IMO best referee of the week has been Letexier.
DeleteI should have added that Nyberg was best out of all the games I saw. I will defer to your opinion on Letexier and respect your judgement on the matter
DeleteCity-Napoli game tonight showed why,full of respect for, Zwayer is not capacity to officiate Cl final here. His body language after OFR, was like,oh my gosh, am I right or not at every possible moment unitl the end,unconvincig perfomance. Tottaly opposite,Nyberg in Newcastle. Full in the game, with good technical and disciplinary control,with high dose of self confidence.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteAnd it’s just another confirmation that Zwayer cannot be a true elite level. Never consistent, often nervous. He’s always been like this. Does it mean he will not get a final? Not sure, UEFA never stops surprising :)
DeleteIt's always easier to belittle him than to simply say he didn't do well. As always, you guys, continue to belittle everything he does.
DeleteSeems like Zwayer was the only referee with an OFR tonight (unless I've missed one) pretty different to last night with 5 out of 6
ReplyDeleteIt may be somewhat premature to speak about potential CL final appointments at this stage. This week, several referees delivered rather average performances, yet the situation could look very different in a few months. Nyberg was indeed solid; however, his most realistic prospect in the near term would be a Europa League final. The Swede has that top Elite “aura” potential, though.
ReplyDeleteIn my view, Letexier—provided he reaches his best form—has the potential to surpass all of his colleagues. His positioning is arguably the most effective of any current referee, and thanks to his fitness and consistent foul detection, his matches typically develop into attractive contests: fair, balanced, and played at a high tempo. That said, we also witnessed him fall below expectations on multiple occasions last season, both in the CL and Ligue 1.
Oliver has been remarkably steady for quite some time now. Should he maintain this level, he would merit a final himself—on the condition that no English or… Italian club is involved (thanks to Rosetti, who is overly concerned with his own reputation). For a long time, English VARs were not exactly a guarantee at the highest level either.
Zwayer, logically, is in the running for a UCL final. Perhaps even the #1 on paper given his age. Nevertheless, I find him less convincing in terms of authority and personality compared to Letexier or Oliver. Zwayer often gives the impression of being carried by his assistants and the VAR, rather than projecting himself as the one truly in charge—similar to Makkelie. The Dutch referee, during his peak years, seemed to control even the smallest details, yet nowadays he frequently appears overly dependent on his assistants, and at times unable to keep up with the play. It has been some time since he reached that 8.7 level and strung together a series of masterclasses, unfortunately. Zwayer and Makkelie, moreover, are prone to losing composure after an on-field review, a tendency also observed with Kovács; arguably one of the least confident referees in front of a VAR screen.
Finally, one may wonder whether refereeing still carries much enjoyment today, with four or five officials constantly speaking into the earpiece, players surrounding in protest (which they are “seemingly” not allowed to punish), and a VAR publicly overruling decisions. It is a demanding environment, and honestly, I do not envy them.
I believe that, after today's solid performance in Newcastle, Nyberg will likely strive even harder to maximize his performance, as the committee considers him facing increasingly challenging matches. And considering the nominations for the three continental finals, it's premature to pinpoint the exact names, but the fact remains that the Swede is considered one of the favorites.
ReplyDeleteThose who performed mediocre this week will certainly have to work hard to correct their issues in the coming rounds. Of course, it's not a free-for-all to be in these finals, but whoever maintains consistency and solidity will be there.
The situation reported by Usaref in Eintracht Frankfurt - Galatasaray:
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/c1fcab
The referee whistled immediately without thinking about a possible delayed whistle, players continued because they didn't hear it.
Thoughts about Sylwestrazk’s performance? I didn’t see the game…
ReplyDeleteAnd if some domestic associations have decided to introduce the announcements by referee, UEFA puts everything about it on the official site.
ReplyDeleteHere the motivations for the many VAR interventions we saw so far in just three days:
https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/029d-1ebd52c0e86d-cc44b76e6bc1-1000--uefa-champions-league-var-technical-explanations/
Most of the explanation don't add more to what we know, but in some cases it can be interesting to read a small technical detail if added.
It is certainly useful to have everything compiled with video, especially as the streaming glitches tend to disappear rather quickly. However, as is often the case, the most debated incidents (such as Peljto’s handball penalty) will not be featured on the page.
DeleteFor referees, it becomes an interesting challenge to avoid appearing on this page too frequently ;-)
About the most discussed cases, I think that the criterion used for the list is clear. They list all the VAR interventions, but as long as field's decisions are kept, no explanation is needed.
DeleteSo we must wait for the next "controversial VAR intervention", but this would be, and you surely agree, more serious than a controversial field but confirmed decision...
Don't really understand this, don't really help the understanding, just replay that we saw during the game so not really helpfull and of course not the most debatable situations.
DeleteZibi [Zbigniew Boniek] about Sylwestrzak on X: "The best Pole in CL this week"
ReplyDeleteLinik: https://x.com/boniekzibi/status/1968787226956808600?s=48
Penalty call by Sylwestrzak.
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/2e03ed
Once again, you can describe this as very clear penalty, but... I will let you guess what is my remark.
Chevren do you think antonio nobre , ricardo de burgos , luis godinho take their chance for champions league as well as zozza or obrenovic
ReplyDeleteI mean like zozza or obrenovic
ReplyDeleteThere was an attempt with Nobre, you can remember Bayern game, but in my opinion he is not at level for Champions League, the last game he officiated, France - Iceland, was extremely poor. I feel that in Portugal after Pinheiro there are hard times. We can indeed only wait for Godinho, very likely he will have his CL debut this season, then hopefully he will keep a good standard for the continuation of his career.
ReplyDeleteAbout De Burgos, he is there by many years, honestly in my opinion in the early appearances as Category 2 he showed to be very poor referee at UEFA level, in recent times with promotion to Category 1 I think it was a bit better for him, but still, if you ask me he can develop at moment I will answer no. Better maybe to wait for new names like Alberola Rojas, even if longer time will be needed.
Mr chefren you are thanks, I watch that match I mean use of var three times made you to say his performance was bad if the use of many times shame last season we saw letexier use two times in the first half realmadrid also if the do you it is fair or enough to evaluate the referee one match until his performance was bad
DeleteIs the referee alot of matches made the referee performance good
I agree that a referee shouldn't be judged after only one game, but after that one beween France and Iceland, it's hard to think about Nobre in Champions League. He was in focus on previous seasons, but he didn't find a path after having made his CL debut, this should mean something, in my opinion. And well, if we want to compare the Portuguese with Letexier, we should say with respect that Nobre is very far from the level of the French. Letexier had poor games, true, but his path has been the excellence.
DeleteOK we should see but I dont think antonio nobre is the level that does not allow him to referee champions league matches
DeleteMr chefren for example we see referee like bastien inthe champions league matches , did you bastien is better than nobre or godinho or deburges
DeleteCroatian League
ReplyDeleteLast weekend, a new round was played
Despite the defeats of the top two, surprisingly, there was no outcry for the referee. I will leave one situation below, so I am interested in whether the referee made the right decision. The first decision was a yellow card, but after the OFR it was changed to a red.
The two mentioned clubs are playing a derby tomorrow. The match is being refereed by a young referee (29 years old) who refereed the last two derbies relatively well last season. According to the majority, the best Croatian referee, and on the UEFA list since the beginning of the year. I hope he has a good game.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OwEB-Oh4Ad8
Correct VAR intervention. Serious foul play for me. Studs can't hit opponent so high. More generally, it seems today there is a certain tolerance about such incidents in many games, but this one is correct RC for me.
DeleteObservers CL MD2
ReplyDeleteAtalanta - Club Brugge
Stéphane Lannoy FRA
Kairat Almaty - Real Madrid
N/A
Inter - Slavia Praha
Uno Tutk EST
Chelsea - Benfica
Vlado Svilokos CRO
Atlético Madrid - Eintracht Frankfurt
Leslie Irvine NIR
Bodø/Glimt - Tottenham
Alexandru Deaconu ROU
Olympique Marseille - Ajax
N/A
Galatasaray - Liverpool
Bernardino González Vázquez ESP
Pafos - Bayern M.
Luis Medina Cantalejo ESP
Union SG - Newcastle
Nicola Rizzoli ITA
Qarabağ - Copenhagen
Sokol Jareci ALB
Arsenal - Olympiacos
N/A
Leverkusen - PSV
N/A
Villarreal - Juventus
N/A
Napoli - Sporting CP
Martin Hansson SWE
Monaco - Manchester City
N/A
Borussia Dortmund - Athletic
Martin Ingvarsson SWE
Barcelona - PSG
N/A
I was asked, but too early to make predictions.
Just some arguments.
Among others, despite of the historic game for Kazakh football, I think possible to see a debut in Almaty, huge gap between the teams. One could still expect a Category 1, but not 100% sure if committee will read it in a different way.
Then, we will have the famous Atalanta - Club Brugge with Lannoy, here an experienced Elite seems expected because it is a close game, and we have the very famous Meler incident.
Curious how Rosetti will manage this one.
About Rosetti and looking at the missing observers, he could appoint himself either in Monaco or Marseille, frequent venues for him.
After some good recent appearances one could expect Jovanovic in a game, maybe with important observer to test him once again.
Let's investigate about Barcelona - PSG: English referees out as both were assigned on MD1, no Spanish and/or French, no Kovacs, no German (hard to to think about Siebert, honestly...).
So very likely it will be once again between Marciniak and Vincic, unless a surprise from the Netherlands...
In Almaty, I would also expect category 1, but rather not a debut, but maybe someone like Saggi. Or alternatively a low Elite like Grinfeeld or maybe Jovanovic there.
DeleteAtalanta-Brugge has recent history, but otherwise not a top clash. So I think, the "Eskas category" should be enough.
I would rather expect Elite referees in Marseille or Monaco, looking at the pairings - Hernandez and/or Kruzliak maybe.
But for exact predictions, one should wait for the EL appointments next week, because some of the candidates probably will work there and therefore become unlikely for CL MD2.
You yourself know that in Barcelona they were very dissatisfied with Marciniak's refereeing in the second leg of last year's semi-final. I don't know how realistic it is that he referees their first home game of the new season
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I forgot for a while about Marciniak and the issues with Barça, but you are right. Unlikely.
DeleteSo in my opinion three possible names for that game: Vincic, Gozubuyuk or Siebert. Can't find other options at moment inside the Elite pool.
We saw FIFA pushing for ref cam and var announcement, but what about UEFA ? Do we think that it will something we can see maybe later in the competition or it's not in uefa mind ?
ReplyDeletePerhaps a MD1 referee repeating on MD2?
ReplyDeleteOliver would be an option for Barça-PSG if you ask me…That’s why the observer hasn’t been appointed IMO.
Of course I wouldn't be surprised if Vincic or Oliver are the chosen one, but I would say that still on MD2 a not super top referee could be possible. Bayern Chelsea and Liverpool Atlético were the two biggest matches of MD1 and we saw Mariani and Sánchez Martínez. Names like Pinheiro or Schärer sound also possible for me
DeleteYes, it is possible, but I think that just by seeing PSG, this game needs an Elite with "nothing to lose"... Schärer and Pinheiro are impossible (PSG-Atalanta and U-20 in Chile respectively).
DeleteSo I think it will be between Vincic or Oliver if you ask me...
But if there is a “surprise” I see Eskås more possible than Gözübüyük/Siebert TBH...
DeleteDo you have any predictions about who the referees will be for the second round?
ReplyDeleteHave you read the previous comments?
DeleteI suspect the experienced Elite referees not used on MD1 (e.g. Vincic, Turpin, Marciniak, Siebert) will be assigned to matches where the observer was published early. Vincic could still be an option for Barca vs. PSG, but in that case UEFA would likely have announced the observer already? With a very experienced name, there’s no real reason for a delay.
ReplyDeleteAn English referee in Barcelona seems plausible, given their relatively low/mid-profile first assignment.
According to Árbitro Internacional, CONMEBOL RefCom has formally asked FIFA to remove Andrés Rojas from U20WC due to his poor performance in Flamengo-Estudiantes de la Plata Libertadores QF 1st leg yesterday.
ReplyDeleteThere were many complaints from Flamengo, including from the fourth referee who told the Estudiantes coach that he should substitute a player who had been booked. It was very tense.
DeleteWow,what an organization.
Delete1 bad game and they decide to pull him and do something drastic.
Yep,RC was wrong and harsh,but complaints from Brazilian side are unjustified.
For the whole match they were loud and protesting Rojas could not win in that match no matter what.
Also,some slander has also gotte in the way of Valenzuela with some of his decisions and his delayed no penalty announcement.
No surprise, again ,Brazilian and Argentinian side were involved.
Clear red given by Bankes to Robert Sanchez. DOGSO and SFP at the same time imo as he caught the attacker pretty high. Close onside correctly given on-field for the 1-0 goal also.
ReplyDeleteApparently confirmed as given for Dogso, but yes, arguments for both
DeleteExcellent Minaković in Ethernal Serbian Derby Partizan-Red Star 1:2. Players helped him, but he had good communication, always accepted, no protests
ReplyDeleteDo you have some videos from the match to share with us?
DeleteMy friends from Serbia told me that thay don't remember eternal derby with less number of fouls
I read an Argentine article where it is reported that Andrés Rojas will be replaced by another referee in the U-20 World Cup in Chile in the coming weeks... It is NOT official, we have to wait... But if so, I think Rojas can also say goodbye to 2026...
ReplyDeleteRepeat, NOT official
PSV-Ajax — Penalty awarded (‘31) to Ajax after a long VAR check.
ReplyDeleteR: Gozubuyuk, VAR: v.Boekel.
Your thoughts?
A good match from Gozubuyuk, and the penalty was supportable
DeleteI was somewhat surprised by the VAR intervention. While a penalty can be supported, we often see comparable situations where VAR chooses not to intervene — a one-armed push in the back, VAR usually remains uninvolved. It is also worth noting that Gozubuyuk was well positioned and did not identify an infringement.
DeleteThe penalty proved to be a turning point in the match, as Ajax gained more control afterwards. Ultimately, once the match had concluded, both teams appeared satisfied with the draw and there were no complaints about Gozubuyuk’s performance.
Overall, it was a solid game from him in a high-tempo contest. He applied a typical law-enforcer style, which is entirely acceptable as he ensured a clear and consistent line.
Two pretty big mistakes by Robert Jones in the Bournemouth - Newcastle game.
ReplyDeleteAround the 60th minute, a Bournemouth defender pulls Woltemade by the shirt in the penalty area. Nothing is awarded, and I think it should have been. I even think Var should have intervened.
Twenty minutes later, the Newcastle defender is forgiven a clean second yellow card.
Overall, Jones is one of the worse referees at the start of the season in England.
He hasn't exactly looked like a FIFA referee in the past year or so. Same with Andy Madley. Strange that Bankes left the list a few years ago who is one of the better refs imo.
DeleteI'm glad you mentioned Bankes. The man refereed very well last season and the beginning of this season, and he's been going under the radar.
DeleteIn general, I follow a lot of Premier League games and I can say that the refereeing in the last two rounds has been much better than in the first three when it was really bad
Halil Umut Meler refereed today's Al-Arabi - Al-Kuwait in Kuwait League. The VAR was Zorbay Küçük.
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/_6Iy0WD-Hr8?si=P34TYLg9wBK9z71Y
ReplyDeleteMinute 0:30 — VAR overturn PSV-Ajax.
Is this “clear and obvious” in your opinions?
In my opinion, it's a 100 percent foul. So the VAR intervention is justified
ReplyDeleteMarseille-Ajax: Edgar Steinborn (GER)
ReplyDelete