Thursday, 19 February 2026

Europa League 2025/26 - Referee Appointments - KO Playoffs (First Legs)

 2025-26 UEFA Europa League, referee appointments for the first legs of KO Play-offs.



Thursday  19 February 2026

18:45 CET - Zagreb (Stadion Maksimir) 
GNK DINAMO (CRO) - KRC GENK (BEL) 
Referee: Halil Umut Meler TUR
Assistant Referee 1: Abdullah Özkara TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Ibrahim Çaglar Uyarcan TUR
Fourth Official: Cihan Aydın TUR
Video Assistant Referee: Fedayi San SUI
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Onur Özütoprak TUR
UEFA Referee Observer: William Collum SCO
UEFA Delegate: Gerard Lawlor NIR

18:45 CET - Thessaloniki (Stádio Toúmbas)
PAOK FC (GRE) - REAL CLUB CELTA DE VIGO (ESP) 
Referee: Ivan Kružliak SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Branislav Hancko SVK
Assistant Referee 2: Jan Pozor SVK 
Fourth Official: Michal Očenáš SVK
Video Assistant Referee: Pawel Malec POL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Piotr Lasyk POL
UEFA Referee Observer: Michael Johansen DEN
UEFA Delegate: Mark Blackbourne ENG

18:45 CET - Bergen (Brann Stadion) 
SK BRANN (NOR) - BOLOGNA FC 1909 (ITA) 
Referee: Rade Obrenovič SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik SVN 
Assistant Referee 2: Tomaž Klančnik SVN
Fourth Official: Martin Matoša SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Alen Borošak SVN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Asmir Sagrković SVN
UEFA Referee Observer: Neale Barry ENG
UEFA Delegate: Christian Kofoed DEN

18:45 CET - Istanbul (Fenerbahçe Şükrü Saracoğlu Spor Kompleksi)
FENERBAHÇE (TUR) - NOTTINGHAM FOREST FC (ENG)
Referee: Sandro Schärer SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Stéphane De Almeida SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Jonas Erni SUI
Fourth Official: Anojen Kanagasingam SUI
Video Assistant Referee: Lukas Fähndrich SUI
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Luca Cibelli SUI 
UEFA Referee Observer: René Temmink NED 
UEFA Delegate: Jens Futterknecht GER

21:00 CET - Razgrad (Huvepharma Arena)
PFK LUDOGORETS 1945 (BUL) - FERENCVÁROSI TC (HUN)
Referee: Tobias Stieler GER
Assistant Referee 1: Lasse Koslowski GER
Assistant Referee 2: Mark Borsch GER
Fourth Official: Matthias Jöllenbeck GER
Video Assistant Referee: Sören Storks GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Johann Pfeifer GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Boško Jovanetić SRB
UEFA Delegate: Hayri Çavuşoğlu TUR

21:00 CET - Athens (Olymbiakó Athlitikó Kéntro Athinón "Spýros Loúis")
PANATHINAÏKÓS AO (GRE) - FC VIKTORIA PLZEŇ (CZE)
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: Kevin Clancy SCO
UEFA Referee Observer: Aleksei Kulbakov BLR 
UEFA Delegate: Artur Azaryan ARM

21:00 CET - Villeneuve d'Ascq (Stade Pierre Mauroy)
LOSC LILLE (FRA) - FK CRVENA ZVEZDA (SRB) 
Referee: Sven Jablonski GER
Assistant Referee 1: Eduard Beitinger GER
Assistant Referee 2: Robert Kempter GER
Fourth Official: Sascha Stegemann GER
Video Assistant Referee: Robert Schröder GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Christian Dingert GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Augustus Constantin ROU 
UEFA Delegate: Anthony Bloch ENG

21:00 CET - Glasgow (Celtic Park) 
CELTIC FC (SCO) - VFB STUTTGART (GER) 
Referee: Erik Lambrechts BEL 
Assistant Referee 1: Mathias Hillaert BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Kevin Monteny BEL 
Fourth Official: Jasper Vergoote BEL
Video Assistant Referee: Bram Van Driessche BEL 
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Pol van Boekel NED 
UEFA Referee Observer: David Malcom NIR 
UEFA Delegate: Lennart Vestervall SWE
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29 comments:

  1. HB230017 February 2026 at 10:24

    All of them are elite referees and appointed to the Europa League. :) Good to see Umut and Scharer back

    ReplyDelete
  2. Chefren17 February 2026 at 10:44

    We can observe a "categorization" of KO assignments: Eite referees in Champions League (no doubts, but not the new ones), then all Elite referees in Europa League as well (including new ones) and some Category 1 only in Conference League. We will see whether second legs will respect same pattern, but it's very likely, even more knowing that appointments have been made before.
    All three German Elite appointed unless Zwayer, maybe a second leg in either Europa or Conference League for him.
    Still, no Italian referees and that's very surprising.
    One should think that in Champions League there will be very likely two names in second legs... and maybe a third one in Europa League.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Adams A.A.17 February 2026 at 11:20

      Not only Italians are missing yet, no English center referee yet. Return legs would be interesting.

      I expect to see names like Oliver and Marciniak in UCL return legs while Kavanagh featuring in Europa League return leg

      Delete
    2. Nerazzuri17 February 2026 at 11:21

      Kavanagh is appointed in the UECL

      Delete
    3. Yannes B17 February 2026 at 11:22

      Kavanagh is on duty in ECL first leg

      Delete
    4. Adams A.A.18 February 2026 at 11:29

      Yeah I was wrong.

      Delete
  3. ScotRef17 February 2026 at 13:36

    Good game for the new elite Walsh.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Belgian+UEFArefobserver17 February 2026 at 23:21

    Good game for Lambrechts. Strange that the full team is still not Belgian, while we have eg also Bert Put and Jan Boterberg who passed Uefa (or even FIfa, I am not sure) VAR tests. His potential Belgian successor Vergoote 4th ref. Visser totally disappeared from the UEFA scène. That won’t be a surprise for Chefren 😄

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chefren19 February 2026 at 14:24

      Honestly, I'm sorry for Visser, there was more than a big focus on him, you know. He was in the position that with regular performances, nothing more than that, he would have achieved the goal of being promoted to Elite, I'm sure. But he failed. Focus was then removed by committee, he didn't disappear completely, but surely a big pity if we think about his potential development. In the end Lambrechts distinguished more himself, but I think basically between the two there isn't this big gap. What do you think?

      Delete
  5. Chefren19 February 2026 at 19:27

    Challenging game for Schaerer in Istanbul, Fenerbahçe asking for VAR, but it wasn't a punishable handball, I agree with Fähndrich from VAR room.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hans 119 February 2026 at 19:31

    Why did Schärer interrupt the game in Istanbul for a VAR review if there was no handball offense?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Referee198519 February 2026 at 19:34

    Not ideal but at least they reached the right decision

    ReplyDelete
  8. Abdiaziz ahmed yousuf19 February 2026 at 19:53

    Is sandro schärer chance to go world cup finals

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Igor_1619 February 2026 at 21:10

      I hope so. He is a very good referee when he is not injured!

      Delete
  9. Kapetan19 February 2026 at 19:59

    Great onside by AR1 of the Swiss crew for 0-3

    ReplyDelete
  10. Quilava19 February 2026 at 20:24

    Two very good consecutive offside/onside decision by Kružliak's ARs in PAOK - Celta (Celta goal disallowed, PAOK goal allowed)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Treff19 February 2026 at 21:24

    How is meler

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ITAREF19 February 2026 at 22:12

      Good but not great performance. Sometimes he seemed seems a bit unmotivated and with an approach too timid compared to the style I recognized in him. And it’s a pity considering his capabilities.

      Delete
  12. Igor_1619 February 2026 at 21:40

    36‘ Jablonski YC against Stankovic! Absolutely right. Two minutes earlier, a player wanted to take a free kick between AR 1 and the referee. The whistle remained correctly. The coach was upset, lack of respect to the Game. Very Good yellow card from the German team. Strong Performance so far by the German Team…

    ReplyDelete
  13. Skominafan19 February 2026 at 21:56

    Good performance by Obrenovic in not so demanding match. He was accepted all the time by the players and officials.

    ReplyDelete
  14. osmanabbot19 February 2026 at 22:04

    Nothing to report about Lambrechts in a straight forward match. My only complaint is whatever whistle he is using sounds terrible and quiet but this is more of a personal preference than a genuine complaint.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Miki19 February 2026 at 22:32

    Jablonski SEVERAL corner kicks missed in favor of Red Star. Unacceptable.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Swiss_reffan19 February 2026 at 22:36

      He missed two. You don't have to exaggerate.

      Delete
    2. Igor_1619 February 2026 at 22:36

      Several is wrong. It was just one. Please stay real.

      Delete
    3. Igor_1619 February 2026 at 22:59

      All in All a very good Job from the Germans. I like Jablonski's body language. It is very strict but it looks natural. Exciting!

      Delete
    4. Hans 119 February 2026 at 23:04

      Let's stick to the truth; there were only one or two corner kicks, not several. You certainly haven't made a wrong corner kick decision yet

      Delete

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