Referee appointments for 2025/26 UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals, first legs, game to be played on 7 April 2026.
21:00 CET - Madrid (Estadio Santiago Bernabéu)
REAL MADRID CF (ESP) - FC BAYERN MÜNCHEN (GER) Referee: Michael Oliver ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt ENG
Assistant Referee 2: James Mainwaring ENG
Fourth Official: Andrew Madley ENG
UEFA Referee Observer: Vladimir Šajn SVN
UEFA Delegate: Radenko Mijatović SVN
21:00 CET - Lisbon (Estádio José de Alvalade)
SPORTING CP (POR) - ARSENAL FC (ENG) Referee: Daniel Siebert GER
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Seidel GER
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Foltyn GER
Fourth Official: Daniel Schlager GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Sören Storks GER
Fourth Official: Daniel Schlager GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Sören Storks GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Alan Mario Sant MLT
UEFA Delegate:Roxana Berceanu ROU
Interesting that Oliver is observed by Committee member, possibly one of the finals for him. Or committee member just due to high profile of the match…
ReplyDeleteMichael Oliver looks likely to be No.1 candidate for the Final this year. The first leg appointment is likely to keep him away from the second leg hot pot that may damage his chances. Except he puts in a really terrible performance or an English team makes it to the final, it's hard to look past Oliver for this year's final showpiece
DeleteI’m more in line with Referee 12. Probably considered for A final, not necessarily THE final. If the real No. 1 candidate, then a Europa League quarter final would keep him away more from the spotlights than this Champions League clash (even though 1st leg).
Delete@Adams A.A. I would have also nominated Michael Oliver for the first leg. However, my reasoning was that the winner of this match could face an English team in the semi-final.
Delete@Unknown He’s already stayed “away from spotlights” in Round of 16, so I don’t think it’s necessary to do it again. Reaching a final (either CL or EL) without playing in CL KO stages sounds pretty unlikely.
Delete@Peter: I agree, that this would be a logical argument, but apparently doesn't care at all, if we look at last season's QF 2nd legs.
DeleteFor me it seems obvious, that Oliver is a candidate for a final this season and therefore it makes sense to give him a big QF as final test. I would have preferred the second leg, because it probably will be more challenging, but also because I don't see a better choice for it at the moment (if we don't repeat one of the Real referees from the previous KO rounds). Maybe Kovacs is the best guess now for the return leg?
Are really committee crazy ? Siebert to 1/4 final? How many chances he has? This is a joke and bad example to all upcoming referees that if you are from a high profile country you have invulnerability...
ReplyDeleteSiebert is in a grate form and he deserves it. An excellent season by the German
DeleteBig game for Oliver in front of a committee member, yes we can consider him as candidate for CL final, nevertheless it's true that for sme big games, committee members are there just for the importance of the game, as we also observerd in past editions of Champions League. A rare big match without English teams. Clearly, before all the rest, it was the opportunity for rewarding him with a sonorous clash as long as this was possible, without other English involvments. The rest, must be observed to follow.
ReplyDeleteIt is to me more interesting under a refereeing point of view the assignment of Siebert in Lisbon. Clearly, Portuguese team can be considered as the weakest of the last 8, and this allowed a "different" choice. But, yes, this choice can mean that Zwayer will be left without CL KO assignments this season. Keeping the line we saw so far by committee, it should be expected, otherwise the German, as WC candidate, would have got an assignment earlier in the competition, but it would be very bad signal for him, and a clear different point of view by UEFA (fully justified inside the circle) if compared to FIFA (long preselection process for the German from Berlin).
Nevertheless, things can be different, and we are not inside so we can't know everything.
Rosetti observer in Paris on Wednesday can give us a doubt about whether the German could even appear here (but to me, unlikely) and the observation by the Italian UEFA head of refereeing would be clear: going to meet a referee who is in very difficult moment (Rosetti did similar observations in past). However, for the performance principle this would be astonishing after all they made, but surely not 100% impossible. We will see, I'm very curious.
About Siebert himself, the appointment is not undeserved, he is doing quite well so far, and yes, once again, the clash in Lisbon is the least sonorous of the 8 (second leg could be different...).
Now about a possible Italian assignment, I said that Mariani should be out because assigned in serie A as VAR on Monday, but at this point, given also Di Bello AVAR on Tuesday, I can't exclude him from Barça - Atletico, Stefano Podeschi from San Marino as observer, nevertheless, given how serie A assignments were managed, the first option would be still Guida, but it's hard if not impossible to think he could get this one, before all the rest because he would handle again Barça. So maybe Mariani even if he will be in charge as VAR on Monday (short time), otherwise not an Italian assignment.
You say before that the game between sporting vs bodo glimt
DeleteIs the weakest game and what happened was the exact opposite
Yes Chefren, it really gives us the idea that a guy is going to the World Cup after strong seasons, and then in his first season where he does badly its a bad signal for him as he didnt know how his season is and we have difference from uefa to fifa.
DeleteHold on a minute. It's even funny to see you saying that. Felix is a candidate to WC by the seasons he had in 4 years in UEFA + CWC not because of a single CL season.
@Zwayerbrazil I think what Chefren meant is just that we will see a difference in the rest of this season between FIFA's selection and UEFA's, for exactly the reason you say: FIFA work on a longer timeline and Zwayer deserves to go to the WC; taking this season in isolation, Siebert deserves his chance in CL knockouts if there is space only for one German team.
DeleteIt’s a bit pointless to start debating the UCL final already, since the match-up will be decisive.
ReplyDeleteOliver obviously benefits if PSG knock out Liverpool, which isn’t unrealistic given Liverpool’s current form. But on the other side of the bracket you still have Arsenal.
Letexier, on the other hand, benefits from a PSG elimination, which could open the path for him (although with all French clubs already out of the UEL, that could also play a role).
Then there’s neutral Makkelie, who has likely built up some credit after ITA–NIR.
Another angle: what if the UCL final is Real Madrid vs Barcelona or Atléti? In a Spanish derby like that, the committee might avoid appointing Oliver.
I recall Kovács last year getting a UEL QF but skipping the semis, while Barcelona were still in the competition - no way he would’ve been given the final if it had been PSG vs Barcelona.
In short, the match-up will be decisive, and it’s possible that the RefCom won’t be able to make any final calls until after the semi-finals.
I disagree with your statement that it is pointless to start debating the UCL final. If almost all preivous season, with the exceptiok of year when Mazic was appointed for CL finals, I think Committee had very clear picture who will be appointed for CL finals even before QF.
DeleteThe committee also had a very clear picture in that season too!
DeleteBut the picture changed 😀.
I agree with what is written above. Given that two of the biggest candidates could still be ruled out by their country of origin, it is clear that the matchup is important this time. I also think Oliver deserves a rest after Tuesday, he will have done three very big games in seven days.
PSG-Arsenal would be the most difficult final to appoint, because nobody of the major candidates is available (assuming the Makkelie/PSG problem still exists).
DeleteThe positive thing is, that UEFA could assign the semifinals completely to former CL final referees (if Marciniak recovers in time) and thereby keep every option open for this year's final.
Oliver appointment imo is fair but still surprised to see him in 1st leg, second leg could suit him more or he gets two games and the Spanish derby 2nd leg
ReplyDeleteAnd the German (Siebert) with a fine year he should be in the run in to a final at least the Conference league, he earned this game on merit even though it feels one sided that the English team will go through
ReplyDeleteInteresting to see where Letexier slots in now. Obviously he can’t take PSG. Bayern–Real (2nd leg) decides PSG’s opponent anyway, and Dallas has already observed him this season. Same story with the German observer Sippel at Atleti–Barca.
ReplyDeleteSo what’s left? First leg with Podeschi, but Letexier just had Barcelona not long ago. Or Arsenal–Sporting (return) - a bit under the radar, for a final candidate, but does that game really need him? Feels more like one for Nyberg to me. Maybe Letexier drops into the Europa League? Plenty of options there.
I am very exciting the appointments of tomorrow especially psg vs Liverpool
ReplyDeleteIt will not be João Pinheiro
ReplyDelete+1
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