2026-27 UEFA Europa League, Matchday 1. Second set of referee assignments, 17 September 2026.
Thursday 17 September 2026
18:45 CET - Heraklion (Pancretan Stadium)
OFI (GRE) - TSG 1899 HOFFENHEIM (GER)
Referee: Javier Alberola Rojas ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Alfredo Rodríguez Moreno ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Carlos Álvarez Fernández ESP
Fourth Official: Víctor García Verdura ESP
Video Assistant Referee: Valentín Pizarro Gómez ESP
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Javier Iglesias Villanueva ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Vladimir Šajn SVN
UEFA Delegate: Targo Kaldoja EST
18:45 CET - Sofia (Vasil Levski National Stadium)
PFC LEVSKI SOFIA (BUL) - FC SALZBURG (AUT)
Referee: Mohammad Al-Emara FIN
Assistant Referee 1: Turkka Joonas Valjakka FIN
Assistant Referee 2: Mika Lamppu FIN
Fourth Official: Joni Hyytiä FIN
Video Assistant Referee: Paweł Malec POL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Kornel Paszkiewicz POL
UEFA Referee Observer: Peter Sippel GER
UEFA Delegate: David Moran IRL
21:00 CET - Turin (Allianz Stadium)
JUVENTUS FC (ITA) - NEC NIJMEGEN (NED)
Referee: Oleksiy Derevinsʹkyy UKR
Assistant Referee 1: Oleksiy Myronov UKR
Assistant Referee 2: Dmytro Zaporozhenko UKR
Fourth Official: Klym Zabroda UKR
Video Assistant Referee: Denys Shurman UKR
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Stuart Attwell ENG
UEFA Referee Observer: Paweł Gil POL
UEFA Delegate: Anthony Bloch ENG
21:00 CET - Donostia/San Sebastián (Estadio de Anoeta)
REAL SOCIEDAD DE FÚTBOL (ESP) - AFC BOURNEMOUTH (ENG)
Referee: Paweł Raczkowski POL
Assistant Referee 1: Marcin Boniek POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Kupsik POL
Fourth Official: Patryk Gryckiewicz POL
Video Assistant Referee: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bastien Dechepy FRA
UEFA Referee Observer: Barış Şimşek TUR
UEFA Delegate: Haraldur Haraldsson ISL
21:00 CET - Plzeň (Doosan Aréna)
FC VIKTORIA PLZEŇ (CZE) - ROYALE UNION SAINT-GILLOISE (BEL)
Referee: Yigal Frid ISR
Assistant Referee 1: Roi Hassan ISR
Assistant Referee 2: Tuval Rahamim Koltunoff ISR
Fourth Official: Gal Levi ISR
Video Assistant Referee: Daniel Bar Natan ISR
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Eitan Shmuelevitz ISR
UEFA Referee Observer: Stephen Tanner ENG
UEFA Delegate: Rachid Sidi Yakoub FRA
21:00 CET - Glasgow (Celtic Park)
CELTIC FC (SCO) - FERENCVÁROSI TC (HUN)
Referee: Patrik Kolarić CRO
Assistant Referee 1: Luka Pajić CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Ivan Starčević CRO
Fourth Official: Dario Bel CRO
Video Assistant Referee: Mario Zebec CRO
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Jan Boterberg BEL
UEFA Referee Observer: Stéphane Lannoy FRA
UEFA Delegate: Kristoffer James Löfberg SWE
21:00 CET - London (Selhurst Park)
CRYSTAL PALACE FC (ENG) - KKS LECH POZNAŃ (POL)
Referee: Michal Očenáš SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Adam Jekkel SVK
Assistant Referee 2: Tobiáš Pacák SVK
Fourth Official: Ivan Kružliak SVK
Video Assistant Referee: Jeroen Manschot NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Clay Ruperti NED
UEFA Referee Observer: Marco Fritz GER
UEFA Delegate: Siim Juks EST
21:00 CET - Istanbul (Tüpraş Stadyumu)
BEŞIKTAŞ JK (TUR) - OLYMPIQUE DE MARSEILLE (FRA)
Referee: Andrea Colombo ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Davide Imperiale ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Giuseppe Perrotti ITA
Fourth Official: Simone Sozza ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Michael Fabbri ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Valerio Marini ITA
UEFA Referee Observer: Carlos Clos Gómez ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Carlos Clos Gómez ESP
UEFA Delegate: Vilmos Szabó HUN
21:00 CET - Lillestrøm (Åråsen Stadion)
LILLESTRØM SK - SCU TORREENSE (POR)
Referee: Ondřej Berka CZE
Assistant Referee 1: Matěj Vlček CZE
Assistant Referee 2: Kamil Hájek CZE
Fourth Official: Ondřej Pechanec CZE
Video Assistant Referee: Robert Schröder GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Lucie Ratajová CZE
UEFA Referee Observer: Aleksandar Stavrev MKD
UEFA Delegate: Rita Bagdonienė LTU
– OFI v TSG Hoffenheim: Javier Alberola Rojas
ReplyDelete– Levski Sofia v Red Bull Salzburg: Mohammad Al-Emara
– Beşiktaş v Marseille: Andrea Colombo
– Celtic v Ferencváros: Patrik Kolarić
– Crystal Palace v Lech Poznań: Michal Očenáš
– Viktoria Plzeň v Union Saint-Gilloise: Yigal Frid
– Juventus v NEC Nijmegen: Oleksiy Derevinskyi
– Lillestrøm v Torreense: Ondřej Berka
– Real Sociedad v Bournemouth: Paweł Raczkowski
An Italian referee for Besiktas-Marseille after an undisclosed observer :) At least the workflow is consistent :)
ReplyDeleteWhose idea was it to assign Colombo, who has no international experience, to this tough match?
ReplyDeleteDefinitely rosetti. Italian biasness.
DeleteHonestly, I don't see any issue with Andrea Colombo. Internationally, he's followed a solid and well-deserved progression through the Conference League and the Europa League, including handling Crvena Zvezda vs Celta Vigo in the spring. On top of that, he has been regularly appointed to high-profile Serie A matches for several years, so his current standing should hardly come as a surprise.
DeleteYou can't say he lacks international experience; it would be more accurate to say that he might lack sufficient experience to referee a match of this level. However, as this represents a clear test for the referee from Como, who has been under the spotlight for some time now, he has been assigned this fixture in Istanbul, which could turn out to be quite intense.
DeleteUnlike Gillett, who appeared out of nowhere at San Siro, here we see a clear trajectory being followed by the referee. He might even be assessed by a committee member, perhaps Kuipers or Velasco, given that Rosetti theoretically can't (I imagine him being at San Siro, anyway).
I can assure you that he is among the best Italian referees, in my view, even better than the current Elite group of three, at least in terms of character and composure (though he must take care not to get too full of himself).
As for the rest, unlike yesterday, we have several appointments well worth keeping an eye on.
The trend is clear, including Colombo, a focus on launching young referees:
After assigning numerous matches to Kruzliak, we finally see a different Slovakian referee. An attempt was made in the past with Kralovic, which seemed to be without success.
Yigal Frid (Israel): A focused effort on the Israeli official is becoming increasingly obvious.
Czech Officiating: a similar push to promote the Czech referee is underway, though he remains somewhat in limbo for now.
Still, receiving regular Category 1 assignments in the Europa League is a positive development for Czech officiating.
Patrik Kolarić: he becomes the second Croatian referee after Pajač at moment, taking charge of a match in a major stadium.
But yes, perhaps most notably of all, Alberola faces a decisive assessment in Crete under the eyes of Vladimir Šajn.
Chefren. Why do you think Sozza has been appointed as fourth official? After all, Sozza is a referee who takes charge of Champions League matches
DeleteExcellent analysis, Chefren!
DeleteWe can see the major focus on Colombo and then on Alberola.
May both of them deliver great performances.
It will be a decisive moment for both.
The committee is clearly keeping an eye on these two up-and-coming referees.
It's easy the explanation, Matadorfelix.
DeleteAt least in my opinion...
To help Colombo with the potentially hot benches.
A low ranked referee could have been in trouble there, facing pressure.
Here the assignment of fourth official is made on purpose exactly for the game.
OT : Jon Moss, head of refereeing Australian FA served as FO in Semifinal of Australian Cup, South Melbourne vs Lions FC (both are semi-pro team) amid iinm Australian referees protest againts salary and contracts.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzYOaz96l8A&list=LL&index=1&t=3181s&pp=iAQBsAgC
52:55
Honestly, he looks fitter now than when he did as a referee.
DeleteReferees announced for Ligue 1 matches, except for the game
ReplyDelete20h45 : AS Monaco - RC Lens
Referee: tbd
Assistants : Nicolas DANOS et Benjamin PAGES
4th official: Mickaël LELEU
VAR: Cyril GRINGORE et Aurélien PETIT
Could it be that Turpin is injured? It should be him with Pages and Danos
I think there is a bug on fff website, Turpin was also the referee for Marseille - Paris FC two weeks ago and it is also written "Anonymous"
DeleteWebsite now show Turpin, btw the Gringore appointment is weird, last year it was announced that he will not be his VAR anymore after a polemic decision when he did not intervene, suprising to see him back.
DeleteI believe that both Rojas (Spain) and Gillet (England) are reaping the rewards of their hard work, given their weekly appointments to high-profile Premier League and La Liga matches.
ReplyDeleteWhile these selections can spark debate, we shouldn't dismiss the referees' value upfront—especially considering that Gillet has officiated 3 out of 4 matches (ranking second behind Oliver), while Rojas has done 3 out of 5 (leading alongside other Elite referees).
Difference is Rojas has been given quite a few UEFA appointments in the past 1-2 years where as Gillett has come from no where (despite getting good PL appointments)
DeleteAny attempt to find logic fails.
DeleteAlberola's path is crystal clear.
Meanwhile, Gillett, without a single Conference League GS match, and without having been monitored by the committee, was appointed completely out of the blue.
So, if what you are saying is correct, based on domestic performance, which we all know it's very important, and rightly so, then they could do the exact same thing for everyone, including Alberola, bypassing the whole process... We aren't questioning the referees ability, but we are discussing how the system is managed.
It makes no logical sense to take one referee and devlop him like Alberola, while taking another, like Gillett, and throwing him out of nowhere into a Milan - Benfica Europa League match.
I'm categorical about this, and we have to be, we need to face reality. Then, how the English handles the match is a completely separate issue and he can even do well.
But under the human point of view, unless unknown arguments, it's unacceptable for those from many countries who are struggling to get a debut in Europa League!
I’m not defending the selectors or their reasoning, but I truly believe both referees (Rojas and Gillet) deserve to be appointed to Europa League matches.
DeleteYou can't rule out their chances of officiating these games—regardless of their past match count—as long as they hold a FIFA badge and are listed in the relevant UEFA categories.
i am more surprised that Sozza, who officiates Champions League matches, is the fourth official in that game than Colombo's appointment !
ReplyDeleteMaybe they predict very heated match in which 4O will have full hands dealing with the benches.
DeleteSo, the debutants should be five: Patrik Kolarić (CRO), Jarred Gillett (AUS/ENG), Jérémie Pignard (FRA), Yigal Frid (ISR) and Michal Očenáš (SVK).
ReplyDeleteVAR audio from Man United vs Man City https://x.com/UtdForever7/status/2099905525370556465
ReplyDeleteShows that VAR simply didn't realise that Fernandez was offside from the cross and only checked to make sure he didn't touch the ball (which would have made Haaland offside)
H. Webb deserves credit for maximum transparency, which should be appreciated. After dialogue and explanations, you can’t really ask for anything more; the mistake should be accepted, but it’s clear that human nature feels the need to find a scapegoat, even though it was a truly serious error.
DeleteAs often happens with major blunders in the era of modern refereeing with VAR, focusing on a detail and losing sight of the big picture leads to the mistake.
You think a situation is confined to certain boundaries, but that turns out not to be the case (similarly to what often happens with other infractions).
That being said, in my opinion, the VAR pair was too inexperienced for this match, even though I see the FA is trusting on Donohue, who has already appeared a few times at the UEFA level as well.
However, I believe the AVAR can take more responsibility here because he is assistant referee and therefore has an expert eye for offside. But this didn't help him and he clearly failed to advise his colleague to check in detail Fernández position as well, even more when they checked the possible head butt (classic situation in which an assistant referee should immediately wonder whether punishable or not).
Now, about the suspension, they will return after the international break, and that's surely a very long time for English standard, maybe the record in recent times, however it's indeed very hard to accept by officials at this level.
There only being one matchday until the international break, of course, so in affect, just the usual one week off
DeleteDanny Makkelie (Hessel Steegstra, Jan de Vries, VAR Erwin Blank) and João Pinheiro (Pedro Ribeiro, Luciano Maia) will participate in the 27th Gulf Cup in Saudi Arabia (23 September - 6 October).
ReplyDeleteKwiatkowski took too long to review Kluivert's goal.
ReplyDeleteInteresting incident in the APP for Ferencvaros 2nd goal in Glasgow. Studs follow through onto ankle after player passes the ball across and the goal is scored. Very quick check and HT whistle blown
ReplyDeleteCeltic (CEL) v Ferencavosi TC (FER)
ReplyDeleteReferee: Patrik Kolaric (UEFA first category)
VAR: Mario Zebec
First Half:
3’ possible incorrect offside by AR1, unclear as to whether correct replay was shown but one on TV showed incorrect offside
28’ good no FK/penalty call on edge of area then good advantage for FER on counter attack
38’ Good no PK call given on field as hand not in a punishable position
A very comfortable and straightforward half from Mr Kolaric. Minimal fuss and very good positioning and fitness which has enhanced his credibility of decision and created full acceptance with players. May he continue the good work.
Second Half:
Delete49’ good no call for attacking free kick to FER
64’ missed YC for not respecting the required distance at taking of a free kick for FER #15
86’ Correct YC for FER #10 for simulation, referee in excellent position
88’ Correct YC for FER #14 for SPA
Summary:
A very polished performance from Kolaric in a straightforward game. Handled the game well and displayed very positive levels of fitness and positioning. No major negatives to report only minor points would be to be more aware at free kicks as he missed the incident on 64’ due to being ahead of the wall and to vary his whistle tone as at points it was very one toned and lacked variety. Overall I would like to see this referee in more testing environments in the UEL and UECL, a CL debut may follow if positive paths continue.
How was colombo ?
ReplyDeleteI can report a quite good performance. He had no problems keeping the game under full control even if it was a game of normal difficulty. All cautions were correct and the advantage before the fourth goal of Besiktas was well given. The foul detection was fairly okay with a little room for improvement.
DeleteCRYLECH 33' Correct penalty by Ocenas 87' 2nd YC, could be avoidable not so strong as 2nd YC must be
ReplyDelete34' Penalty call
Deletehttps://streamin.link/v/0eedb591
SENDING OFF
76' First YC, after advantage, good decision
https://streamin.link/v/ba0b8a5a
87' Second YC
https://streamin.link/v/aa7142a1
Penalty correct decision, clear for the movement by defender.
Correct first YC, then discussions about the second YC but or me is more than supportable due to the intent by player to just stop opponent, without showing interest in the ball. If assessed only by itself, it's indeed not a 100% SPA, however more important than that for me is that the referee didn't show a strong body language before sending off. Reading the name on the card to be sure, or maybe he had forgotten, it's not good in terrms of presentation, however I think he wanted to be 100% sure. Nevertheless, with only one player booked before in the full game and just a few minutes earlier...
The areas he can work on to improve next time, as I noticed in a few moments during the match, include better timing when whistling certain fouls (similar to checking the booking cards book before issuing a second yellow card, just to be sure).
LST TOR 48' & 89 ' missed cautions for LST for step on foot 57' YC its not dissent or kicking ball away previously on 51' correct caution for dissent if you compare them really big difference. sending of player for 2 YC's where 1st booking is just play on and not simulation but 2nd YC clearly lack of respect and SPA
ReplyDeleteThanks for this report!
Delete48' Possible YC for step on foot
https://streamin.link/v/59e85d73
51' YC for dissenting gesture
https://streamin.link/v/cbc4dec6
57' YC for dissenting gesture, harsh?
https://streamin.link/v/304415e1
89' Missed YC for step on foot
https://streamin.link/v/6be6a58c
SENDING OFF
First YC, simulation:
https://streamin.link/v/710c6dd9
Second YC, lack of respect, holding:
https://streamin.link/v/6f4ca5a8
In short, while I agree with the two missed YC, should have been given, the first one was more difficult to spot, while in the second he could have seen it.
About the YC in 57', for a very "minimal" dissenting gesture or kicking ball away, please note how stadium highlighted the action by player, I'm convinced without that, there wouldn't have been focus. And I agree it's an exaggerated decision, while it's OK in the other circumstance, 51', with a very strong kick on the ball as reaction to the foul.
Then, into the two yellow cards leading to red: no doubts about the second, with clear LoR, even though at the replay it could look rather short, but the action exists. Mistake for me to go for simulation in occasion of the first card, normal contact with defender and in my opinion not made on purpose to deceive referee. Rather hurry decision.
To me, looking at this latter incident, and including the extremely harsh YC for dissent in 57', the conclusion is that Czech referee tried too much to apply LotG, without being more flexible in understanding the play dynamics, this happens whern a referee gets instructions and he feels he must apply them and maybe on another argument he feels he is about to officiate a very important / crucial game for him on international stage, I would suggest him to be more natural on his next game.
Any report about Alberola?
ReplyDeleteKolarić, three incidents mentioned above:
ReplyDelete28' PAI, play on and advantage to follow
https://streamin.link/v/f7056ad8
38' PAI handball, play on
https://streamin.link/v/dc6c0196
45'+1 Possible foul before goal by Ferencvaros
https://streamin.link/v/1bf64fad
86' Simulation
https://streamin.link/v/4da9bc92
Very, very good regarding the crucial incidens, he also showed reactive body language. Clear simulation close to the end of the game, attacker entering defender's path and falling down to deceive referee.
About the situation before second goal by Hungarian side, well, surely VAR will never intervene for something like that, but absolutely possible to call it as reckless, nevertheless rather unpopular given the clean contact with ball before. Hard to see for referee as well. But it remains a point for discussion.
I didn't watch more but very positive by the Croatian here.
I could add the 64' incident, here a point for improvement:
Deletehttps://streamin.link/v/ffb3236e
Officials can't leave the execution of free kick without control
More awareness by fourth official in this case would have helped.
Alberola Rojas, a look at his disciplinary management in a game with a very surprising (my opinion) final score.
ReplyDeleteI think the game was not challenging, but one can't say on the other side that it was easy.
What can be underlined about the Spanish is how he pulls out cards in a very natural way, maybe too much natural as it seems he is doing nothing (sometimes, like in one of those clips, players don't even notice that). It's his style.
No major incidents in this game.
23' YC SPA
https://streamin.link/v/4f5e003d
53' YC Holding
https://streamin.link/v/034f8e4f
56' YC Holding / SPA
https://streamin.link/v/b57fb3e0
63' YC SPA, Delayed whisle
https://streamin.link/v/7c54596f
64' YC Reckless
https://streamin.link/v/e75cfeca