2026-27 UEFA Europa League Play-Off Round: second-leg referee appointments.
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| Donatas Rumšas LTU to referee Arat Armenia - Universitatea Craiova |
Thursday 27 August 2026
Yerevan (Republican Stadium after Vazgen Sargsyan)
ARARAT-ARMENIA (ARM) [1:1] UNIVERSITATEA CRAIOVA (ROU)
Referee: Donatas Rumšas LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis LTU
Fourth Official: Robertas Šmitas LTU
Video Assistant Referee: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Piotr Urban POL
UEFA Referee Observer: Marco Fritz GER
UEFA Delegate: Ebe Verhaegen BEL
18:00 CET
Tbilisi (Mikheil Meskhi Stadium)
IBERIA TBILISI (GEO) [0:4] JAGIELLONIA BIAŁYSTOK (POL)
Referee: Simone Sozza ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Stefano Alassio ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Davide Imperiale ITA
Fourth Official: Giovanni Ayroldi ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Valerio Marini ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
UEFA Referee Observer: Neale Barry ENG
UEFA Delegate: Kim Hallberg DEN
19:00 CET
Nicosia (GSP Stadium)
OMÓNIA NICOSIA (CYP) [0:1] SINT-TRUIDENSE (BEL)
Referee: Damian Sylwestrzak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Paweł Sokolnicki POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Karasewicz POL
Fourth Official: Łukasz Kuźma POL
Video Assistant Referee: Piotr Lasyk POL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Kornel Paszkiewicz POL
UEFA Referee Observer: Knut Kircher GER
UEFA Delegate: Victor Marius Radu ROU
19:00 CET
Plzeň (Doosan Aréna)
VIKTORIA PLZEŇ (CZE) [0:3] CRVENA ZVEZDA (SRB)
Referee: Danny Makkelie NED
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries NED
Fourth Official: Joey Kooij NED
Video Assistant Referee: Dennis Johan Higler NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Richard Martens NED
UEFA Referee Observer: Tomasz Mikulski POL
UEFA Delegate: Rainer Koch GER
19:00 CET
Lillestrøm (Åråsen Stadion)
LILLESTRØM (NOR) [0:0] EGNATIA (ALB)
Referee: João Pedro da Silva Pinheiro POR
Assistant Referee 1: Luciano António Gomes Maia POR
Assistant Referee 2: Hugo Manuel Freire Marques POR
Fourth Official: João António Ferreira Gonçalves POR
Video Assistant Referee: Tiago Bruno Lopes Martins POR
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: André Filipe Domingues da Silva Narciso POR
UEFA Referee Observer: Vlado Svilokos CRO
UEFA Delegate: Fredy Fürst POL
19:00 CET
Salzburg (Red Bull Arena)
SALZBURG (AUT) [1:0] MJÄLLBY (SWE)
Referee: Irfan Peljto BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Senad Ibrišimbegović BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Davor Beljo BIH
Fourth Official: Miloš Gigović BIH
Video Assistant Referee: Momčilo Marković SRB
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Aleksandar Živković SRB
UEFA Referee Observer: David Malcolm NIR
UEFA Delegate: Vito Di Gioia ITA
19:00 CET
Kaunas (Dariaus ir Girėno Stadionas)
KAUNO ŽALGIRIS (LTU) [0:3] BEŞİKTAŞ (TUR)
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Guillermo Santiago Sacristán ESP
Fourth Official: Alejandro Quintero González ESP
Video Assistant Referee: César Soto Grado ESP
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Francisco José Hernández Maeso ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: William Young SCO
UEFA Delegate: Rasmus Brandhof DEN
20:00 CET
Thun (Visana Stadion)
THUN (SUI) [0:7] LECH POZNAŃ (POL)
Referee: Halil Umut Meler TUR
Assistant Referee 1: İbrahim Çağlar Uyarcan TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Abdullah Bora Özkara TUR
Fourth Official: Cihan Aydın TUR
Video Assistant Referee: Daniele Chiffi ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Onur Özütoprak TUR
UEFA Referee Observer: Viktor Kassai HUN
UEFA Delegate: João Morais POR
20:00 CET
Randers (Cepheus Park Randers)
AARHUS (DEN) [1:3] BENFICA (POR)
Referee: Daniel Siebert GER
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Seidel GER
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Foltyn GER
Fourth Official: Max Burda GER
Video Assistant Referee: Robert Schröder GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Johann Pfeifer GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Thomas Einwaller AUT
UEFA Delegate: Andrew Ambler ENG
20:00 CET
Sofia (Vasil Levski National Stadium)
CSKA SOFIA (BUL) [0:3] OFI (GRE)
Referee: Ivan Kružliak SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Branislav Hancko SVK
Assistant Referee 2: Ján Pozor SVK
Fourth Official: Peter Kráľovič SVK
Video Assistant Referee: Michael Fabbri ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Michal Očenáš SVK
UEFA Referee Observer: Vladimir Antonov MDA
UEFA Delegate: Bakar Jordania GEO
20:30 CET
Budapest (Groupama Aréna)
FERENCVÁROS (HUN) [1:0] TRABZONSPOR (TUR)
Referee: Rade Obrenovič SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež SVN
Fourth Official: David Šmajc SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Matej Jug SVN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Alen Borošak SVN
UEFA Referee Observer: Martin Ingvarsson SWE
UEFA Delegate: Aurel Mihail Ionescu ROU
20:30 CET
Brussels (Lotto Park)
ANDERLECHT (BEL) [3:0] QAİRAT (KAZ)
Referee: Espen Andreas Eskås NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Erik Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Isaak Elias Skjeseth Bashevkin NOR
Fourth Official: Sigurd Smehus Kringstad NOR
Video Assistant Referee: Andrew Dallas SCO
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Kevin Clancy SCO
UEFA Referee Observer: Alain Hamer LUX
UEFA Delegate: Patrick Duffy IRL
Is there a specific reason why Siebert is in the Europe League? As far as I'm concerned, his performance in the CL final was widely appriciated.
ReplyDeleteMore open mind is needed to get to the point. .
DeleteFirst argument is that CL final was last season, now a new one is starting. So, there isn't any connection with the big game the German got 3 months ago.
Morevoer, looking specifically at the committee's pattern, it seems that in most cases, some Elite referees were assigned to the third qualifying round of the Champions League, while others were not (Siebert was in Kazakhstan on 11 August). And among those who officiated in the third qualifying round of the Champions League,though not all of them, some were not assigned to the CL play-offs and went to Europa League matches instead.
It's also rotation among the names. Now Jablonski has been given a bit of the spotlight, as we have seen; Zwayer is back to officiating in CL, and there will be room for Siebert as well on next occasions.
I think a bit of flexibility is needed to understand these dynamics.
It's not as if a referee officiates the Champions League final, he must stay in Champions League forever.
Okay, thanks for the explanation.
DeleteKarol Arys 👏 This is brilliant to see. https://x.com/canalplus_sport/status/2089419985735016704?s=46
ReplyDeleteWhy is it such a simple match, the committee's attitude towards him is not good at all, disrespect to the Turkish referee
ReplyDeleteThe referee appointments had already been determined before the first leg were played
DeleteHalil Umut Meler is the referee of today's Al-Ain vs. Khorfakkan in the UAE. Start at 18:35 CET.
DeleteMeler will probably continue his career in the Arabian Peninsula. He is currently refereeing many more matches there compared to Turkey.
DeleteDue to the unfortunate incident he experienced in the past, he does not want to officiate big matches in Turkey anymore because he cannot handle the pressure.
Two major clubs of the Süper Lig, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş, dont want to see Halil Umut Meler in their matches.
Appointments made before, most of referees were rather unlucky, but this always happens and we know that. UEFA can't change the policy. The most unlucky referee Meler, one should only wonder, to understand what committee had in mind about him, the names of the two teams and what Rosetti could have expected from the tie. Given the clash Thun - Lech Poznan, for me just a regular assignment for an Elite referee, clearly the hottest team is the Polish one in terms of match preparation.
Delete@hb2300 Turkey is very backward in terms of football. no one likes the referees, but these referees are not because they are bad because teams cannot accept defeat
DeleteEerste Divisie: NAC - Jong Ajax
ReplyDeleteTwo NAC players were injured; both required treatment and were sent off the pitch for one minute. Defending with nine men is no easy task.
A rule that clearly goes too far...
https://x.com/ESPNnl/status/2091198494031622597?s=20
Off-topic: Fortuna–AZ (referee: Gozubuyuk)
ReplyDeleteAgain, after just 5 minutes, a direct RC.
Clearly the correct decision, however the way the decision was reached wasn’t ideal: hesitant, very delayed call, which made it look as if the decision was being fed to him by VAR. If Gozubuyuk wants to reach top Elite level, I think he really needs to be stronger and more convincing when making big calls.
The worst possible way to apply mistaken identity https://x.com/PremSportsTV/status/2091219120805007464?s=20
ReplyDeleteThis is so wrong … unbelievable
DeleteFirst serie a matchday, and already a controversy in Genoa Napoli prior to the first goal.
ReplyDeletehttps://x.com/goalsxtra/status/2091261268032159968?s=46
Opinions? Game was refereed by Di Bello