Appointments of match officials in charge of Youth League Round of 32.
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| Stefan Ebner AUT will referee Koln - Inter |
Tuesday 3 February 2026
14:00 CET - Wijdewormer (AFAS Trainingscomplex)
AZ ALKMAAR (NED) - BORUSSIA DORTMUND (GER)
Referee: Bastien Dechepy FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Brice Parinet Le Tellier FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Julien Haulbert FRA
Fourth Official: Wouter Wiersma NED
UEFA Referee Observer: Ruud Bossen NED
UEFA Delegate: Nermina Hadžibajrić BIH
16:00 CET - Roeselare (The NEST)
CLUB BRUGGE KV (BEL) - AS MONACO FC (FRA)
Referee: Joakim Östling SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Max Robin Wilde SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Simon Kristensson SWE
Fourth Official: Matonga Simonini BEL
UEFA Referee Observer: Joeri Van De Velde BEL
UEFA Delegate: Engli Kokona ALB
16:00 CET - Madrid (Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano)
REAL MADRID CF (ESP) - OLYMPIQUE DE MARSEILLE (FRA)
Referee: Samuel Barrott ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Alexander James ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Jacob Graham ENG
Fourth Official: Luis Enrique Morona del Campo ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Luis Medina Cantalejo ESP
UEFA Delegate: Samuel Dennison NIR
16:30 CET - Žilina (Štadión MŠK Žilina)
MŠK ŽILINA (SVK) - LIVERPOOL FC (ENG)
Referee: Mikkel Hedberg Redder DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Deniz Yurdakul DEN
Assistant Referee 2: René Risum DEN
Fourth Official: Matej Choreň SVK
UEFA Referee Observer: Ladislav Gádoši SVK
UEFA Delegate: Péter Kézdi HUN
18:00 CET - Surrey (Chelsea FC Training Ground)
CHELSEA FC (ENG) - PSV EINDHOVEN (NED)
Referee: Edgars Maļcevs LVA
Assistant Referee 1: Mārtiņš Svipsts LVA
Assistant Referee 2: Deniss Ševčenko LVA
Fourth Official: James Durkin ENG
UEFA Referee Observer: Simon Lee Evans WAL
UEFA Delegate: Rasmus Brandhof DEN
19:00 CET - Lezama (Lezamako Kirol-instalakuntzak)
ATHLETIC CLUB (ESP) - EINTRACHT FRANKFURT (GER)
Referee: Radoslav Gidzhenov BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Petar Mitrev BUL
Assistant Referee 2: Todor Vukov BUL
Fourth Official: Jon Andrade del Olmo ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Jonathan Lardot BEL
UEFA Delegate: Kim Hallberg DEN
Wednesday 4 February 2026
10:00 CET - Antalya, TUR (Mardan Spor Kompleksi)
FK DYNAMO KYIV (UKR) - CLUB ATLÉTICO DE MADRID (ESP)
Referee: Oliver Reitala FIN
Assistant Referee 1: Jukka Honkanen FIN
Assistant Referee 2: Olli Jantunen FIN
Fourth Official: Burak Memiş Güvenç TUR
UEFA Referee Observer: Halis Özkahya TUR
UEFA Delegate: Aian Äljanov KAZ
14:00 CET - Warsaw (Stadion Miejski Legii Warszawa im. Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego)
LEGIA WARSZAWA (POL) - AFC AJAX (NED)
Referee: Matteo Marcenaro ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Khaled Bahri ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Zezza ITA
Fourth Official: Piotr Urban POL
UEFA Referee Observer: Marcin Szulc POL
UEFA Delegate: Viliana Zdravkova BUL
14:30 CET - Poissy (Campus du Paris Saint-Germain)
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN (FRA) - FK DYNAMA-MINSK (BLR)
Referee: Lothar D’Hondt BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Romain Devillers BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Nico Claes BEL
Fourth Official: Aurélien Petit FRA
UEFA Referee Observer: Pascal Garibian FRA
UEFA Delegate: María Medina Jiménez ESP
16:00 CET - Seixal (Benfica Campus)
SL BENFICA (POR) - SK SLAVIA PRAHA (CZE)
Referee: Menélaos Andoníou CYP
Assistant Referee 1: Giórgos Charalámbous CYP
Assistant Referee 2: Giórgos Kondemeniótis CYP
Fourth Official: Flávio Miguel Gomes de Azevedo Duarte POR
UEFA Referee Observer: Lucílio Cardoso Cortez Batista POR
UEFA Delegate: Katri Susanna Mattsson FIN
16:00 CET - Vila-real (Mini Estadi de la Ciutat Esportiva del Villarreal CF)
VILLARREAL CF (ESP) - BAYER 04 LEVERKUSEN (GER)
Referee: Thomas Gary Owen WAL
Assistant Referee 1: Lewiss Ross Edwards WAL
Assistant Referee 2: Johnathon Bryant WAL
Fourth Official: Borja Guijarro Colomer ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Juan Antonio Fernández Marín ESP
UEFA Delegate: Amadeo Duarte SUI
16:00 CET - Győr, HUN (Alcufer Stadion)
MK MAKKABI HAIFA (ISR) - FC BARCELONA (ESP)
Referee: Patrik Kolarić CRO
Assistant Referee 1: Luka Pajić CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Ivan Starčević CRO
Fourth Official: Marcell Derdák HUN
UEFA Referee Observer: Ferenc Székely HUN
UEFA Delegate: Vakhtang Bzikadze GEO
16:00 CET - Helsinki (Bolt Arena)
HJK HELSINKI (FIN) - MANCHESTER CITY FC (ENG)
Referee: Antoni Bandić BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Marko Perić BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Damir Lazić BIH
Fourth Official: Matti Roth FIN
UEFA Referee Observer: Jari Järvinen FIN
UEFA Delegate: Aigerim Jūmaeva KAZ
16:30 CET - Felcsút (Pancho Aréna)
PUSKÁS AKADÉMIA FC (HUN) - SPORTING CP (POR)
Referee: Łukasz Kuźma POL
Assistant Referee 1: Jakub Winkler POL
Assistant Referee 2: Piotr Podbielski POL
Fourth Official: Márió Zimmermann HUN
UEFA Referee Observer: Robert Sedlacek AUT
UEFA Delegate: Jiří Novák CZE
18:00 CET - Seville (Ciudad Deportiva Luis del Sol)
REAL BETIS BALOMPIÉ (ESP) - TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC (ENG)
Referee: Marc Nagtegaal NED
Assistant Referee 1: Roy de Nas NED
Assistant Referee 2: Murat Kücükerbir NED
Fourth Official: Ignacio de Santisteban Adame ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Charálambos Kalogerópoulos GRE
UEFA Delegate: Ghislaine Labbé FRA
18:00 CET - Cologne (RheinEnergieStadion)
1. FC KÖLN (GER) - FC INTERNAZIONALE MILANO (ITA)
Referee: Stefan Ebner AUT
Assistant Referee 1: Amina Gutschi AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Thomas Kaplan AUT
Fourth Official: Patrick Schwengers GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Marco Fritz GER
UEFA Delegate: Cem Gündüz Yücel TUR
Mentor for Delegate: Neil Morrow NIR
RC for SFP by Edgars Maļcevs in Chelsea - PSV.
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/79df4b
Looks supportable to me. Studs on the ankle with very high intensity.
DeleteI actually didn't really like the way he presented the red card. There was something a bit lathargic about it
DeleteMy opinion is that this was a very rare red card, not all referees would have issued it, but it can be praised. For sure the action by attacker was very dangerous and maybe he could have avoided that.
DeleteI think the referee elaborated this decision when he was hearing the screams from the injured player, probably the original idea was yellow card then he changed his mind, needed a bit more time.
Malcevs is a surgeon by profession, so being a doctor maybe he can really tell if a player is feigning injury :D
DeleteInteresting situation during Man United vs Fulham on Sunday (Ref Brooks, VAR James Bell). Brooks awards a penalty to United for what seems like a tackle on Cunha. Replays shows the defender wins the ball so I assumed an OFR should follow, however VAR Bell says that contact (shirt pulling) occurred outside the box before the tackle so it is a factual error (outside rather than inside the box) so no OFR. Marco Silva says post match he was told by the fourth official that the penalty was given for the tackle and not the shirt pulling. But surely VAR not sending Brooks to the screen meant they thought Brooks gave the penalty for shirt pulling inside the box....
ReplyDeleteBrooks doesn't have a game this weekend or in the full midweek round next week so not sure if it's to do with that incident.
DeleteIn this case, VAR should ask referee which contact he had punished, and in case invite him to OFR to rewatch, but I also know that there are many mismanagements of such situation, some VARs just believe that another contact happened inside if supportable for a penalty is confirmed.
DeleteCorrect DOGSO RC by Marcenaro in Legia vs Ajax.
ReplyDeleteWhat about a PK given by Kolaric ?
ReplyDeleteApparently, a shortlist of World Cup referees has been announced today?. Makkelie is on it for the Netherlands, and Higler and Dieperink are on it as VARs.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.telegraaf.nl/sport/voetbal/scheidsrechter-danny-makkelie-maakt-grote-kans-op-wk-2026/128993714.html
http://law5-theref.blogspot.com/2025/12/2026-fifa-world-cup-afc-caf-concacaf.html?m=1
DeleteWhere is a announced?
DeleteI assume the 'shortlist' you mention and the list of attendees of the FIFA WC candidates seminar to be held in early March in Dubai are one and the same, i.e. the same for CWC candidates last year bar Gil Manzano, Gozubuyuk, Siebert, Guida, Kruzliak & Meler.
DeleteArsenal vs Chelsea penalties that was not given.
DeleteReferee : Peter Bankes
Var Room : James Bell
It’s interesting to observe that around 70% of referees from England 🏴 appear to lack the level of talent required, and this seems closely linked to insufficient training that matches the standard of competition they officiate. As a result, performance gaps become more visible at higher levels. In that context, Howard Webb leadership at PGMOL has not yet delivered the managerial or developmental impact many expected.
https://youtu.be/3mey_SumbyE?t=538
This was an obvious error by the on-field referee. We often say that roughly 90% of missed decisions stem from poor positioning, but in this case that explanation doesn’t hold. The referee had a clear view of the incident.
The defender won the ball in the first phase of the challenge, but then made a second, separate action, sweeping the other leg into the attacking player. That second action is decisive and cannot be ignored in law or in practice.
It is difficult to understand how the VAR team justified the second challenge as fair. reflects a collective failure across the officiating team involved.
Two penalty area incidents from this game:
Delete17' handball
https://streambug.org/cv/4d8518
84' tackle mentioned by DAMIR
https://streambug.org/cv/369f97
83’: it’s a clear foul, here the argument of ball before is very weak, ball is stationary, almost no change, not enough to say that for this reason it was fair tackle. I fully agree with Damir about the attitude of most English referees, they have big troubles exactly for the mentioned reasons but at least one can understand VAR argument in this case (touch on the ball before and so they ignored all the rest): in my opinion very far from football understanding.
DeleteSome interesting incidents from the second semi (Manchester City vs. Newcastle United)
Delete45+3' PAI handball
https://streamff.link/v/e331e3b2
53' PAI tripping
https://streamff.link/v/650c753e
56' PAI holding
https://streamff.link/v/530c39bc
On the possible handball, in the end it's acceptable to let play continue: the arm is close to the body. The issue, though, is that the player is turned sideways, and this means that the arm in that position still represents an increase in body volume (the only way to avoid that would be to keep it low and tight to the body). That said, for me it's absolutely fine to support the on-field decision here. The bigger problem would be if a penalty had been awarded by referee: I think VAR could not / should not overturn it, but it would have caused controversy. To be clear, same arm position but a defender with a frontal posture facing the ball: zero punishability in that case.
DeleteTo follow, for me never a penalty in 53', I see it as something very marginal.
As for the holding shortly after, it could have been given on the field by the referee, but not a clear and obvious error, so VAR was right to stay silent in my opinion: there are some elements in favor of the whistle, but it's not a blatant situation.
Hmm, 53' is a clear foul for me (attacker's right leg is clearly hit and it causes his fall) but not sure if the ball was still playable for the attacking player - if not, it was only careless, so no penalty would've been a good choice then.
Delete45+3 is a clear handball.
Delete53 is a blatant trip on the foot.
Clear penalties.
56 is nothing.
Remarkable game today in the Youth League between 1. FC Köln and FC Internazionale Milano in a sold-out RheinEnergieStadion in front of 50,000 spectators. 😲
ReplyDeleteOT : Former international assistant referee Julien Pacelli (Team Buquet) has been banned for life by the French Football Federation and convicted by a French court after fraudulently claiming airfare expenses for trips between Corsica and mainland France, where he was officiating Ligue 1 matches. Incredible!
ReplyDeleteTravel expenses fraud in refereeing, a tale as old as time...
DeleteNothing new, really. In Italy, a few years ago, there was a trial on the same issue, involving referees' refunds for match travels, and several referees were punished, but obviously here there wasn't strictness in giving the punishments. It's interesting to read that in France this sounds like a major scandal and the referee was banned for life. Here, that wouldn't be possible. All would appeal against the decisions as they did in past, appeal after appeal, at most leading to long suspensions, but no more. To clarify, in my opinion France did good thing here if facts are verified.
DeleteDuring the Winter Course in Limassol, Rosetti celebrated the very important achievement by the Cypriot federation: no longer having foreign referees for domestic games.
ReplyDeleteVideo:
https://streambug.org/cv/3270c6
Benzema blatant offside goal allowed at 1-0? Closer to the goal line than both the ball and second-last opponent.
ReplyDelete3:30 https://youtu.be/e9oI8v2AIyA?si=fChiB1ASuSCJxlYg
OFR for handball penalty in Coppa Italia game Atalanta - Juventus, played yesterday.
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/475b49
I'm sure many people will disagree...
It remains baffling. In the Dutch league, the check would be complete after 3 seconds, and play would continue without OFR, of course.
DeleteTbf I think a lot of "normal" football people have just given up on trying to understand what constitutes a handball and what doesn't, especially when interpretations seems to differ so much from country to country and competition to competition. You just have to assume that the referees got it right based on their instructions
DeleteDespite me disliking Fabbri, I think once called to the monitor, he cannot reject it ..
DeleteFor me, that was never a punishable handball. VAR intervention was unjustified. Unfortunately, we see many such stupid decisions in Italy. I watch many games in the Netherlands, where there would be no VAR intervention at all.
DeleteVery clear and easy handball decision. Not even debatable.
DeleteYou cannot fail to penalize such a handball. The hand was above the shoulder, and the player was making his body unnaturally bigger. Correct VAR intervention. An obvious mistake by Fabri.
ReplyDeleteVincic is officiating Saudi League game Al-Nassr-Al Ittihad
ReplyDeleteVar: Borosak
Deletehttps://streamff.link/v/be093b7d
Another chapter of the famous Borosak story, please take a look at Vincic face during the OFR...
DeleteThe handball that no one in the stadium spotted. Not even coach Sérgio Conceição. Borosak… Well. There’s a reason UEFA and FIFA have dismissed him as VAR.
DeleteBy the way, am I the only one who finds Slavko Vinčić’s management style — that constant outstretched hand gesture — a bit irritating? He uses it all the time: as a “wait” signal during VAR checks, but also to calm players down. For my taste, it’s just too repetitive and overdone. That said, he’s obviously a solid referee, no one can deny that.
But isn't Borosak actually right here? The defender pushes the ball away in what seems a completely deliberate manner, and even then pulls his right hand away in what seems like an admission of guilt. What the (in)famous Slovenian VMO did not do though (unlike whoever VAR-ed Valencia-Bilbao on Wednesday) is find a good angle for the referee which unambiguously showed the handball offence.
DeleteThis becomes quite controversial because AlNassr were later (justly) awarded a penalty for handball with time running out while the score was still 0-0:
https://streamff.link/v/c8ddea84
It is quite clear though that Borosak is very unconvincing and, especially now Jug has retired from international refereeing, the ‘UEFA Al-Marri’ will surely go the same way as the young Qatari and be ditched.
Overall, the manner in which Vincic handled the game was quite good.
Maybe the ball did hit the hand, but I honestly can’t tell for sure from the footage myself. And the zoomed images that Borosak showed to Vinčić were, indeed, dreadful and simply not clear enough to count as proper evidence.
DeleteCLEAR PENALTY…
DeleteI agree, clear penalty to be given and even if better camera angles were not available/used, it was clear (given the movement of the ball) that there was handball there. Another case of 'hidden handball' nobody even noticed on the field was in the 93rd minute of Atalanta vs. Como last matchweek and this excellent VAR work by Daniele Chiffi:
Deletehttps://streamff.link/v/e556e1fa
Biggest hidden handball is this one. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUVw354DMrB/?igsh=MWtoajg2dGVxOGUwdg==
DeleteUAE Professional League
ReplyDeleteAl Jazira x Al Ain
REF: Felix Zwayer
AR1: Robert Kempter
AR2: Christian Dietz
4 REF: Bader Bujamhoor
VAR: Bastian Dankert
Dankert with a Middle Eastern tour this weekend, he was also VAR for Al-Qadisiyah vs. Al-Fateh in Saudi Arabia, refereed by Sven Jablonski with Eduard Beitinger and Dominik Schaal as assistants.
DeleteOT: Michael Oliver correctly identifying SFP in real time in Man U V Spurs. Good to see a PL official be confident and brave with his decision. To be expected from a UEFA elite
ReplyDeleteVery challenging game for Massa in Genoa - Napoli, with two OFRs for assigning two penalties and a sending off for second YC.
ReplyDeleteFocus on the second OFR, penalty to be assigned in the last minutes of the game:
https://streambug.org/cv/cdefd7
It was assessed as careless action by VAR (no YC, so not the kind of penalty belonging to step on foot), but enough for a VAR call?
It can be discussed. I think attacker used the contact to make the intensity look higher. Massa without any chance to see it live: after the corner kick he didn't react in terms of positioning.
Not enough for me.. very light call.. wouldn’t be accepted anywhere else
DeleteHave to agree with Nerazzuri, I can not imagine a German, Dutch or especially an English VAR ever intervene for something like that
DeleteBlatant penalty not given to Barcelona at around minute 47.
ReplyDeleteCrazy VAR situation at the end of Liverpool vs City
ReplyDeleteThink they got it spot on in the end though - provided Haaland was onside to start with since no GK, which I hope they checked too!
DeleteYeah it was the right decision by law. Just checked and Haaland was in his own half. Although when the ball was played AR2 forgot about Alisson and seemed to stay in line with Szoboszlai rather than make sure Haaland was in his own half
DeletePawson looked a bit lost. Should have whistled something live.
DeleteShame he didn't get that right on-field as he had a good game overall I thought.
DeleteI will be interested to hear the conversation on the pitch - he might have just decided to use common sense since a goal is what both teams wanted and expected in that scenario, but once the VAR (correctly) called him over he had no choice.
DeleteCorrect decision. Nothing else is possible. Just like if a player is fouled and immediately passes to someone who is offside. You call back the foul. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUg50xbDIHS/?igsh=M3dncTlyNDFuOHVi
DeleteBusquets ferrer called to the monitor to check an offside?? 😂😂😂
ReplyDeleteFor me RC to be issued in 8th minute of PSG - OM. Point of contact would suggest clear SFP, however the leg is not fully stretched. The intensity is still high IMO, and therefore Delajod should have been invited to ORF IMO.
ReplyDeletehttps://streamff.link/v/e52ffeb7
DeleteStrange that for the French standard (I saw some very exaggerated and extremely harsh SFP decisions in recent games), this was not worthy of an OFR.
DeleteBig discussion in Bayern - Hoffenheim following the officiating by Stieler. Two penalties for the home-team with red card for DOGSO in the first incident. VAR supported both calls.
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/6ab37f
Correct by VAR to stay silent, in what we can describe as very and maybe today rare application of a very original VAR protocol, but I think doubts about both decisions. First one you can see also action by attacker, but the contrary foul can't be denied, then red for DOGSO would be correct, not genuine attempt. Second incident all is about that left arm on the leg of opponent, but in my opinion it was just a support, not really a high intensity. I think the German referee took both decisions based also on his personal feeling, not being in the best position to see everything and just detecting the attacker falling down after the duels. Decisions that should be accepted but not clear ones.
Penalty 1, never penalty.
DeletePenalty 2, clear penalty.
agree with VG
DeleteNick Walsh appointed with his full UEFA team this Saturday in Scotland including Dallas as VAR. Would be surprised if he doesn't have some sort of UEFA appointment
ReplyDeleteTwo goals after potential handball in APP this Premier League matchday. VAR confirmed the play-on call in both cases.
ReplyDeleteCHELEE
https://streambug.org/cv/6298f9
CRYBUR
https://streambug.org/cv/13da33
Both handballs would be whistled in serie A.
DeleteI can see some arguments for him moving his hand towards the ball in the first one, but not a clear error, play on is fine. Second one natural position, no issues
DeleteReports from newspapers saying that Federico La Penna might get the Inter-Juventus derby on Saturday. That's quite a surprise, but indeed confirms his recent good performances.
ReplyDeleteOfficial appointments will be posted today, will see how true this is.
Just confirmed now.
DeleteLa Penna for Inter Juve, Colombo continues getting trust as he gets Napoli Roma
PL have released quite a few "refcams" recently (like other leagues), most recent one is from M United vs Spurs on Saturday (M Oliver) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjflkQqAxuo
ReplyDelete