Second qualifying round of 2026-27 UEFA Champions League, referee assignments.
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| Manfredas Lukjančukas (LTU) will take charge of a traditionally fiery Turkish side at home |
Tuesday 21 July 2026
18:00 CET
Sölvesborg (Strandvallen)
Mjällby (SWE) vs. Lincoln Red Imps (GIB)
Referee: Matthew De Gabriele MLT
Assistant Referee 1: Mitchell Scerri MLT
Assistant Referee 2: David Castillo MLT
Fourth Official: Daniel Casha MLT
Video Assistant Referee: Gianluca Aureliano ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Daniele Paterna ITA
UEFA Referee Observer: Alain Sars FRA
UEFA Delegate: Peter Lundström FIN
18:00 CET
Baku (Bank Respublika Arena)
Sabah (AZE) vs. KuPS Kuopio (FIN)
Referee: Łukasz Kuźma POL
Assistant Referee 1: Jakub Winkler POL
Assistant Referee 2: Piotr Podbielski POL
Fourth Official: Marcin Szczerbowicz POL
Video Assistant Referee: Paweł Malec POL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Paweł Pskit POL
UEFA Referee Observer: Charálambos Kalogerópoulos GRE
UEFA Delegate: Desislava Ralkova BUL
18:00 CET
Yerevan (Republican Stadium after Vazgen Sargsyan)
Ararat-Armenia (ARM) vs. Shamrock Rovers (IRL)
Referee: David Dickinson SCO
Assistant Referee 1: David McGeachie SCO
Assistant Referee 2: Jonathan Bell SCO
Fourth Official: Colin Steven SCO
Video Assistant Referee: Kevin Clancy SCO
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Ryan Lee SCO
UEFA Referee Observer: Jon Eilif Skjervold NOR
UEFA Delegate: Hristo Zapryanov BUL
18:00 CET
Tbilisi (Mikheil Meskhi I Stadium)
Iberia Tbilisi (GEO) vs. Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
Referee: Lukas Fähndrich SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Jonas Erni SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Susanne Küng SUI
Fourth Official: Mirel Turkes SUI
Video Assistant Referee: Robert Schröder GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Michèle Schmölzer SUI
UEFA Referee Observer: Michal Beneš CZE
UEFA Delegate: Attila Tömo HUN
19:00 CET
Randers (Cepheus Park Randers)
AGF Aarhus (DEN) vs. Lech Poznań (POL)
Referee: Oliver Reitala FIN
Assistant Referee 1: Jukka Honkanen FIN
Assistant Referee 2: Olli Jantunen FIN
Fourth Official: Antti Munukka FIN
Video Assistant Referee: Sören Storks GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Benjamin Cortus GER
UEFA Referee Observer: William Collum SCO
UEFA Delegate: Paolo Rondelli SMR
20:00 CET
Thun (Visana Stadion)
Thun (SUI) vs. Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
Referee: Bolat Sariiev KAZ
Assistant Referee 1: Sergei Vasiutin KAZ
Assistant Referee 2: Denis Labaşov KAZ
Fourth Official: Danil Gorda KAZ
Video Assistant Referee: Benjamin Brand GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Aidyn Tasybaev KAZ
UEFA Referee Observer: Stefan Meßner AUT
UEFA Delegate: Paul Tompkins ENG
20:00 CET
Istanbul (Chobani Stadyumu Fenerbahçe Şükrü Saracoğlu Spor Kompleksi)
Fenerbahçe (TUR) vs. Górnik Zabrze (POL)
Referee: Manfredas Lukjančukas LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Mangirdas Mirauskas LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksandras Stepanovas LTU
Fourth Official: Vilius Paulauskas LTU
Video Assistant Referee: Christian Dingert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Donatas Šimėnas LTU
UEFA Referee Observer: Ichko Lozev BUL
UEFA Delegate: Iain Blair SCO
Graz (Stadion Graz-Liebenau)
Sturm Graz (AUT) vs. Heart of Midlothian (SCO)
Referee: Gergő Bogár HUN
Assistant Referee 1: Péter Kóbor HUN
Assistant Referee 2: Theodoros Georgiou HUN
Fourth Official: Balázs Berke HUN
Video Assistant Referee: Tamás Bognár HUN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Ferenc Karakó HUN
UEFA Referee Observer: João Francisco Lopes Ferreira POR
UEFA Delegate: Thomas Grimm SUI
20:45 CET
Klaksvík (við Djúpumýru)
KÍ Klaksvík (FRO) vs. Kauno Žalgiris (LTU)
Referee: Bastien Dechepy FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Erwan Finjean FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Thomas Luczynski FRA
Fourth Official: Ruddy Buquet FRA
Video Assistant Referee: Nicolas Rainville FRA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Jérémie Pignard FRA
UEFA Referee Observer: Sascha Amhof SUI
UEFA Delegate: Filips D'hondt BEL
21:00 CET
Larne (Inver Park)
Larne (NIR) vs. Crvena Zvezda (SRB)
Referee: Rareș George Vidican ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Ioan Alexandru Corb ROU
Assistant Referee 2: George Florin Neacșu ROU
Fourth Official: Florin Andrei ROU
Video Assistant Referee: Cătălin Sorin Popa ROU
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Adrian Sorin Costreie ROU
UEFA Referee Observer: Cyril Zimmermann SUI
UEFA Delegate: Vignir Már Þormóðsson ISL
21:00 CET
Reykjavík (Víkingsvöllur)
Víkingur Reykjavík (ISL) vs. Hapoel Be'er Sheva (ISR)
Referee: Filip Glova SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel Poláček SVK
Assistant Referee 2: Peter Bednár SVK
Fourth Official: Boris Benedik SVK
Video Assistant Referee: Michal Očenáš SVK
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Boris Marhefka SVK
UEFA Referee Observer: Alexandre Boucaut BEL
UEFA Delegate: Barbara Moschini ITA
19:00 CET
Nicosia (GSP Stadium)
Omónia Nicosia (CYP) vs. Qairat (KAZ)
Referee: Gustavo Fernandes Correia POR
Assistant Referee 1: André Filipe Nogueira Dias POR
Assistant Referee 2: Andreia Catarina Ferreira de Sousa POR
Fourth Official: José Armando Torres Bessa POR
Video Assistant Referee: André Filipe Domingues da Silva Narciso POR
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Hélder Miguel de Azevedo Malheiro POR
UEFA Referee Observer: Alan Mario Sant MLT
UEFA Delegate: Natalya Vorobyova BLR
19:30 CET
Sofia (Georgi Asparuhov Stadium)
Levski Sofia (BUL) vs. Universitatea Craiova (ROU)
Referee: Adam Ladebäck SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mehmet Culum SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Yng SWE
Fourth Official: Mohammed Al-Hakim SWE
Video Assistant Referee: Peter Bankes ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Matthew Donohue ENG
UEFA Referee Observer: Stávros Mándalos GRE
UEFA Delegate: Rainer Koch GER
21:00 CET
Rrogozhinë (Arena Egnatia)
Egnatia (ALB) vs. Celje (SVN)
Referee: Atilla Karaoğlan TUR
Assistant Referee 1: Ceyhun Sesigüzel TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Abdullah Bora Özkara TUR
Fourth Official: Oğuzhan Çakir TUR
Video Assistant Referee: Michael Fabbri ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Onur Özütoprak TUR
UEFA Referee Observer: Pascal Garibian FRA
UEFA Delegate: Andrey Medintsev BUL
Two years ago,
ReplyDeleteManfredas Lukjančukas was UEFA’s most important young referee, having officiated 5 Champions League matches. However, he subsequently fell out of favor and stopped receiving assignments last year. His appointment to manage Fenerbahçe—the biggest team in these qualifiers—is significant. I hope this match proves to be a fresh start and a comeback for him..
It's clear that UEFA makes referee assignments based on the stature of the clubs names. The bias is undeniable, even in these appointments. I just don't get it.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I'm concerned, that's how it has always worked: the referee is selected based on the stature of the two teams, they put this criterion as the first one, thus making a purely technical referee assignment almost non-existent nowadays.
DeleteI think it's ridiculous; the matches in this round are of equal importance. Just because it's a team like Fener, assigning a more prominent and experienced referee to them is unfair to the other teams..
DeleteAnd the VAR referee is Dingert :).
DeleteI know it's common in the qualifying rounds for UEFA to assign "home nations" referees to other fixtures involving "home nation" teams when it never happens in the competition proper. That said it's a little unusual that Shamrock Rovers have a Scottish referee for leg 1 and an English referee for leg 2
ReplyDeleteAnthony Taylor has retired.
ReplyDeleteThe "Pro ref" group list for this season still hasn't been released so I guess that explains it.
DeleteFantastic servant to English football and of course on the international scene. Some of his achievements:
DeletePL referee since 2010
2x FA Cup Final
League Cup Final
Play-off Final
FIFA listed since 2013, Elite since 2018
EL Final
Nations League Final
Super Cup
2x World Cup
2x Euro
CL SF
Taylor was still receiving good PL appointments and had a good WC. He will be a big loss to the EPL especially, they could give him any game from derbies to title/relegation matches and know the game is in safe hands.
I suppose he was never going to get CL Final or referee at another international tournament. I also read his quote saying ‘the pressure is intense and the scrutiny is constant’ which is certainly true! I suppose all of this combined, his retirement actually makes sense.
What a fantastic career that he should be proud of, and if he ever happened to read this I wish him the absolute best in his retirement and whatever comes next. Bravo, Mr Taylor.
He had a great refereeing career, though it could have gone even further—perhaps even including a Champions League final—had it not been for the controversies surrounding Roma and Mourinho in the 2023 Europa League final and the Spanish national team at Euro 2024. It was a distinguished career, albeit one that missed out on reaching that next level. In any case, I wish Taylor success in his retirement.
DeleteBig mistake by AR1 in Georgia Iberia - Bratislava goal disallowed by VAR
ReplyDeleteUCL Q2 1st leg
ReplyDeleteIberia Tbilisi (GEO) - Slovan Bartislava (SVK)
R: L. Fahndrich (SUI) VAR: R. Schroder (GER)
1' Correct YC given to Slo20, borderline challenge
4' Correct public warning for Slo5, who carried extra ball on pitch to avoid fast restart
5' Goal disallowed for offside after VAR intervention, from live broadcast looked clear offside, but from replay from VAR room looked more tight, challenging situation for AR1
9' Correct offside flagged by AR1, flag dellayed
21' Poor positioning by Fahndrich, during Ibe corner kick he show lack of awarness and destroyed set piece signal
25' Correct no foul on Ibe31 before goal scored and also YC given to him for dissent by action (run toward ref for 10-15m)
33' Penalty appeal in Slo penalty area, but contact was not enough for penalty kick
40' Correct foul whistled where Slo57 stamp on Ibe24, YC was option, but not mandatory
44' Correct YC for reckless trip on Slo99 given to Ibe25
45+1' Mutual holding, foul whistle in favou Ibe
52' Correct dellayed whistle, no advantage so free kic given after Ibe4 trip on Slo99
Delete56' Correct illegal use of arms whistled Slo57 on Ibe24, no flag by AR2
60' Correct advantage given in favour Slo29
63' Goal disallowed for offside after VAR intervention, AR2
67' Incorrect YC for Slo17, foul was correct, but Ibe player decive referee to show card
72' Correct YC given to Slo8 for dellaying restart kicking ball away (also made confrontation with an opponent)
83' Penalty appeal in Slo penalty area, VAR stayed sillent, IMO IFC/YC would be propper solution here
Lukjančukas had a good first half in this challenging Istanbul atmosphere
ReplyDeletePK given to Sturm Graz correctly overturned following OFR
ReplyDeleteBut why only 2 minutes were added? VAR pause alone lasted 3 minutes.
ReplyDeleteguys i need to be concerned - should this be a RC for the keeper? imo that's a clear red and a good correction by VAR but i've seen a few comments that it's undeserved
ReplyDeletehttps://fixupx.com/sport_tvppl/status/2079625849175716159?s=20
question about the FK for Fenerbahce... look at the wall, shouldn't Lukjancukas correct the position of Fener's player standing there?
ReplyDeletehttps://x.com/polsatsport/status/2079639281513992228?s=20
I downloaded the clips, they were visible only in Poland.
ReplyDelete1) RC for DOGSO after OFR
https://streamable.com/sbiojd
2) Free kick management
https://streamable.com/nnu52r
1) Correct red card after correct VAR input and OFR. Not easy to spot live for referee.
Delete2) All was OK IMO.
didn't know these vids were geoblocked, thanks for that!
Delete