UEFA Champions League league is back with Matchday 7. Here the referees assignments for the first set of games, to be played on 20 January 2026.
Tuesday 20 January 2026
16:30 CET - Astana (Astana Arena)
QAİRAT FK (KAZ) - CLUB BRUGGE KV (BEL)
Referee: Donatas Rumšas LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis LTU
Fourth Official: Robertas Valikonis LTU
Video Assistant Referee: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Pawel Pskit POL
UEFA Referee Observer: Juan Antonio Fernández Marín ESP
UEFA Delegate: Alojzije Šupraha CRO
18:45 CET - Bodø (Aspmyra Stadion)
FK BODØ/GLIMT (NOR) - MANCHESTER CITY FC (ENG)
Referee: Sven Jablonski GER
Assistant Referee 1: Eduard Beitinger GER
Assistant Referee 2: Robert Kempter GER
Fourth Official: Tobias Reichel GER
Video Assistant Referee: Robert Schröder GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert GER
Video Assistant Referee: Robert Schröder GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Domenico Messina ITA
UEFA Delegate: Stijn Hutsebaut BEL
21:00 CET - Madrid (Estadio Santiago Bernabéu)
REAL MADRID CF (ESP) - AS MONACO FC (FRA)
Referee: Espen Eskås NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Erik Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Isaak Elias Bashevkin NOR
Fourth Official: Sigurd Kringstad NOR
Video Assistant Referee: Pol van Boekel NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bram Van Driessche BEL
UEFA Referee Observer: Herbert Fandel GER
UEFA Delegate: Peadar Ryan IRL
21:00 CET - Milan (Stadio San Siro)
FC INTERNAZIONALE MILANO (ITA) - ARSENAL FC (ENG)
Referee: João Pinheiro POR
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Jesus POR
Assistant Referee 2: Luciano Maia POR
Fourth Official: João Gonçalves POR
Video Assistant Referee: Tiago Martins POR
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Cüneyt Çakır TUR
UEFA Delegate: Pat Duffy IRL
21:00 CET - Vila-real (Estadi de la Cerámica)
VILLARREAL CF (ESP) - AFC AJAX (NED)
Referee: Nicholas Walsh SCO
Assistant Referee 1: Francis Connor SCO
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel McFarlane SCO
Fourth Official: Donald Robertson SCO
Video Assistant Referee: Andrew Dallas SCO
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Christian Dingert GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Martin Hansson SWE
UEFA Delegate: Thomas Grimm SUI
21:00 CET - London (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC (ENG) - BORUSSIA DORTMUND (GER)
Referee: Glenn Nyberg SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderkvist SWE
Fourth Official: Kristoffer Karlsson SWE
Video Assistant Referee: Dennis Johan Higler NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Angelos Evangelou GRE
UEFA Referee Observer: Gianluca Rocchi ITA
UEFA Delegate: Maksims Krivuņecs LVA
21:00 CET - Lisbon (Estádio José Alvalade)
SPORTING CP (POR) - PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN (FRA)
Referee: Anthony Taylor ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Gary Beswick ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Nunn ENG
Fourth Official: Robert Jones ENG
Video Assistant Referee: Jarred Gillett AUS/ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Michael Salisbury ENG
UEFA Referee Observer: Mehmet Murat Ilgaz TUR
UEFA Delegate: Emil Ubias CZE
21:00 CET - Piraeus (Stádio Geórgios Karaïskákis)
OLYMBIAKÓS SFP (GRE) - BAYER 04 LEVERKUSEN (GER)
Referee: Maurizio Mariani ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Daniele Bindoni ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Stefano Alassio ITA
Fourth Official: Matteo Marchetti ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Luca Pairetto ITA
UEFA Referee Observer: Kenneth William Clark SCO
UEFA Delegate: Peter Palenčík SVK
21:00 CET - Copenhagen (Parken)
FC KØBENHAVN (DEN) - SSC NAPOLI (ITA)
Referee: Irfan Peljto BIHAssistant Referee 1: Senad Ibrišimbegović BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Davor Beljo BIH
Fourth Official: Miloš Gigovic BIH
Video Assistant Referee: Ivan Bebek CRO
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Matej Jug SVN
UEFA Referee Observer: Luis Medina Cantalejo ESP
UEFA Delegate: Rainer Koch GER
Chefren, can I get your predictions for the referees in tomorrow's matches?
ReplyDeleteFirst set of appointments with the new categories, and this is certainly visible, even if some elements are continuing a path already started before the break. Rumsas will be back in Astana after Kazakhstan–Belgium in November; for Walsh, a match in Spain, a clash at the very bottom of the table, a warm-up for the young Scottish referee. Similar matches for the two mentioned, committee still allowing them to make experience before something bigger (but there is a clear difference in their careers if we want to compare them, the Lithuanian would be already available for something more). Jablonski follows, he will officiate in Bodø, where Manchester City is involved, making it a more media-exposed appointment than the previous two.
ReplyDeleteTo follow, Peljto makes his return to the top club competition in a second-tier match; the feeling is that he has to restart and that they were really quite shocked by his performance in the famous Real match (perhaps even a bit too harsh?). For Eskas, Real Madrid at home: a delicate match, given that Monaco could also have a say and they are not too far from the Spaniards in the standings.
Mariani goes to Greece for what is a mid-table match; some ambition for the Germans, but it is certainly a conservative appointment aimed at not exposing the referee. It should also be noted that after achieving a lot before the winter break, he did poorly in that famous PSG match. We will see, I believe Guida should also be appointed in a Wednesday match.
We continue with Taylor in Lisbon for PSG match, certainly an interesting one: with a Portuguese win, everything can happen. Nyberg returns after Arab competitions and will referee a solid Tottenham–Borussia Dortmund, two teams level on points and maybe ready to make a jump ahead, an excellent appointment for this reason.
I close the analysis with Pinheiro, I have no difficulty in admitting that I appreciate very little him, but he is instead loved by Rosetti: he is given one of the most prestigious matches of the round, even if we can say that with Arsenal already certainly qualified and Inter on a very good way, it is a match more for prestige than for real relevance to the final outcomes (although Rosetti is of course concerned to make a good impression in such a game, but in some contexts it's easier for him).
Given the history of referee appointments for Italian clubs and the current situation of Copenhagen and Napoli (23rd and 24th in the standings), I would say that Peljto has been assigned one of the toughest matches of this round, where potentially one of the two teams could be eliminated from the competition.
DeleteReferee observers:
ReplyDeleteQAİRAT FK (KAZ) - CLUB BRUGGE KV (BEL)
Juan Antonio Fernandez Marin ESP
FK BODØ/GLIMT (NOR) - MANCHESTER CITY FC (ENG)
Domenico Messina ITA
FK BODØ/GLIMT (NOR) - MANCHESTER CITY FC (ENG)
Herbert Fandel GER
FC INTERNAZIONALE MILANO (ITA) - ARSENAL FC (ENG)
Cüneyt Çakır TUR
VILLARREAL CF (ESP) - AFC AJAX (NED)
Martin Hansson SWE
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC (ENG) - BORUSSIA DORTMUND (GER)
Gianluca Rocchi ITA
SPORTING CP (POR) - PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN (FRA)
Mehmet Ilgaz TUR
OLYMBIAKÓS SFP (GRE) - BAYER 04 LEVERKUSEN (GER)
Kenneth William Clark SCO
FC KØBENHAVN (DEN) - SSC NAPOLI (ITA)
Luis Medina Cantalejo ESP
Herbert Fandel observing Sven Jablonski?
DeleteIt is a mistake, he wrote twice City game, Fandel is in Madrid with Eskas.
DeleteSorry, exactly as Chefren wrote.
DeleteI believe this is historic. I certainly can't recall any elite referee ever officiating four Champions League group stage matches in a row, especially as a Champions League debutant, or am I mistaken? Sven Jablonski seems to enjoy a very high standing and level of trust with the UEFA Referee Committee.
DeleteI think FCK vs Napoli is the most important match of the round, both teams on 7 points fighting for top-24. I would have preferred more stable ref than Peljto but anyway good luck to him
ReplyDelete