Monday, 13 April 2026

Champions League 2025/26 - Referee Appointments - Quarterfinals (Second Legs, II)

The referees in charge of 2025/26 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, second legs, second set to be played on 15 April 2026.


Wednesday 15 April 2026

21:00 CET - Munich (Allianz Arena)
FC BAYERN MÜNCHEN (GER) - REAL MADRID CF (ESP)
Referee: Slavko Vinčić SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaž Klančnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Andraž Kovačič SVN
Fourth Official: David Šmajc SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Dennis Johan Higler NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Pol van Boekel NED
UEFA Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas SCO
UEFA Delegate: Andrey Medintsev BUL

21:00 CET - London (Emirates) 
ARSENAL FC (ENG) - SPORTING CP (POR) 
Referee: François Letexier FRA 
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni FRA
Fourth Official: Stéphanie Frappart FRA
Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bram Van Driessche BEL
UEFA Referee Observer: Gylfi Þór Orrason ISL
UEFA Delegate: Angelo Chetcuti MLT

23 comments:

  1. I just saw the penalty awarded by Massa to Como last night. Originally, he had awarded the free kick outside the penalty area after a short time (not fully convinced, I think), then VAR changed the decision to penalty without asking to review it, so supporting the decision. But that's a clear and obvious error! How can you justify the penalty? The Inter player performed his move while remaining within his own area and not touching the opponent at all, but attempting to block the shot, and was then kicked by the opponent himself.
    It's very questionable to see a foul: fortunately, the penalty didn't influence the final result, but once again, hard to understand about certain technical evaluations, at least as far as I'm concerned.
    Tomorrow, however, the committee should reveal more about this decision by publishing VAR clip.
    Video of the incident:
    https://streambug.org/cv/ce8cbe

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  2. Vincic no surprise he gets this match so he should be out for the semi finals, And in London it shouldn't be the other French (Letexier) probably an experience ref will be trusted

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    Replies
    1. Last season, Vincic officiated the second leg of the QF between Bayern and Inter, then he officiated the first SF match between Arsenal and PSG. I am sure that if everything goes well on Wednesday, he will officiate the SF again.

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    2. Even if not goes well he is officiate

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    3. First time I agree with you, Abdiaziz (!)

      UEFA has no other options for SF.

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    4. But it's not so much a choice as it is pure personal desire

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    5. Abdiaziz i think for SF will be Pinhero😁 common

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  3. Eredivisie:
    a) FC Utrecht - SC Telstar
    Referee: Makkelie/ VAR: Higler

    No foul in APP and goal decision
    https://youtu.be/6xLpUBc9HOs?t=183

    Makkelie seemed unfazed, but Didden placed his foot on top of his opponent's ankle and applied some weight to inflict damage.

    Higler did not intervene. Makkelie is still not back to his usual form. If something like this happened at the World Cup, they'd probably have to return home

    b) NEC - Feyenoord
    Referee: Gözübüyük / VAR: Van Boekel

    No DOGSO decision
    https://youtu.be/Rfi_3hI76QM?t=31p

    It was very logical for Gözübüyük, who has the complete trust of the KNVB this season, to referee the game between third and second place at this stage. Feyenoord, who have been having a disastrous season, put up an unexpected fight, making it a hard-fought and challenging match for the referee.

    Ueda (Feyenoord-forward)controlled the ball well, but it wasn't perfect. It left his feet and went slightly to the right, not towards the goal. Seeing this, Crettaz also starts heading towards the ball. Ueda has a running start, while Crettaz doesn't have much. Where will the two of them reach the ball? If Ueda reaches it first, how wide is the goal for him?

    Van Boekel called Gözübüyük over to the screen. Frankly speaking, I get the impression that Van Boekel (He has not taken charge of any matches in the Eredivisie this season, but has been working as a VAR official in every round) has become a little easier to intervene in this season than before.

    It's unclear whether Gözübüyük made the original decision on the field regarding the DOGSO situation. Was he already thinking on the field, "Even if it's a foul, it's not DOGSO"? In any case, the final decision was YC.

    I support that. Fortunately, even in the Netherlands, not everyone believes this is 100% RC.

    c) Sparta Rotterdam - PSV
    Referee: Bos / VAR: Teuben

    The goal was disallowed due to an attacking handball(?) by a player who did not score.
    https://youtu.be/ax9txaGDSuQ?t=28

    PSV are already champions, so this isn't a major event. But it's been a while since I've seen such a strange decision. The ball did hit Til's arm, but it was Gasiorowski who scored the goal. Bos canceled the score based solely on audio from Teuben, without even watching the video himself.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Anass, nice clips.

      1. The ball is clearly played first, and then the contact occurs in the challenge. The player gets up immediately and does not protest. I understand why Makkelie did not award a foul live, and since the ball is played, there is no intervention from the VAR.

      2. An interesting situation in terms of DOGSO. The ball does go slightly to the right, and the question is whether the goalkeeper would have reached it before the Feyenoord attacker. Because he falls, he completely loses speed in his action. I understand that this is a difficult decision, but Gözübüyük did not even award a foul.

      3. The handball by the attacker is not deliberate or punishable, and he does not score himself. This should be a valid goal, as the teammate scores.

      Today, KNVB will announce the referee for the cup final. Danny Makkelie officiated it last year, and I think Allard Lindhout will get it this time.

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    2. Excellent decision from Makkelie, as always.

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  4. Probably the first time, that the same VAR is used in both legs of a match.

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  5. Good appointments for Slavko Vinčić and François Letexier, as expected.

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  6. About the semifinals and the final: committee must be very careful.
    They don't have a vast choice, given that big games are always assigned in a certain way and all 5 (semifinals and final) will be big games for sure.
    We have Marciniak out, Kovacs very likely out (but we can't know for sure about thim), no Spanish referees, hard to see a German (maybe Siebert in case, but rather astonishing for Zwayer).
    We should also consider the nationality of the clubs that will be there: Arsenal and maybe Liverpool can make it hard for Oliver, then PSG in case could rule out the French (but they already get many assignments). Then, we have only Mariani about Italy, but after a sonorous clash in quarterfinals, maybe hard to think that he will get a semifinal as well.
    The big very neutral option for all games at moment is represented by Makkelie, but apart from him, all the other referees have to wait for something before getting a possible assignment.
    So in my opinion committee could even prepare or open to some surprises, at least for semifinals: the first name, given how he has been managed so far and the performances, for a possible semifinal assignment, would be Eskas. Nyberg and Schaerer would follow, but we know what about the Swiss (nevertheless, still possible, but surprising in case, with a few games during the season due to injury) and about the Swedish, in my opinion, there is always a small doubt.
    No other names after that, and, despite of what committee thinks, they are in this condition also because they used always mostly same names for big games. There isn't a real development.
    However, we will see how things will go. Now it's early, we could say more after knowing the names of the teams that will qualify for semifinals.

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    Replies
    1. +1 there's been no outstanding development for sure, Early today I wrote that Letexier was not suitable for the clash in London but it was already going to be him confirmed which means the likes of Nyberg did a mistake somewhere that we swept under the rug, consecutive UEL matches does look good for him hence going to the World cup

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    2. Please allow me to disagree with you in the way we see it is easy to expect that the semi final will not beyond for the France, slovenia, Italy referees

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    3. Ahmed, it all depends on nationality of semi finalist that's French and English hopes will be lying

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  7. I don't believe we will see some thing new in semifinal

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  8. I do believe it will be an extremely hard game for Vincic, and no matter the result I do feel like he will find his name in the press, after all the proof is is in the pudding with the Spanish media slating Kovacs.

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    Replies
    1. Or how German media handled Marciniak 2 years ago… Bayern fans are still (!) talking about him… for what? Only they know…

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  9. My reading is that Letexier is a lock for a final, UEL or UCL, because otherwise they would compensate Letexier with the SF2, between Barcelona/Atletico and Arsenal/Sporting.

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    Replies
    1. SF1 PSG/Liverpool - Bayern/Real
      1st: Hernandez, Scharer
      2nd: Vincic, Marcinaik, [Kovacs]

      SF2 Barca/Atm - Arsenal/Sporting
      1st: Mariani, Nyberg, Eskas, Mackelie
      2nd: Vincic, Turpin, Marciniak

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    2. Why are people unironically picking Hernandez Hernandez for a UCL SF (or even F!!) is beyond me. Surely the “controversial” WC selection is enough? God forbid.

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    3. Scharer observed by Carballo is more realistic maybe

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