Matchday 4 of 2026/27 UEFA Champions League. Please find below the referee appointments for the first set of games, to be played on 3 November 2026.
Tuesday 3 November 2026
18:45 CET - London, ENG (Stamford Bridge)
SHAKHTAR DONETSK (UKR) - SPORTING CP (POR)
Referee: Ivan Kružliak SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Branislav Hancko SVK
Assistant Referee 2: Jan Pozor SVK
Fourth Official: Peter Kralović SVK
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Jan Pozor SVK
Fourth Official: Peter Kralović SVK
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Daniele Chiffi ITA
UEFA Referee Observer: David Fernández Borbalán ESP
UEFA Delegate: Romano Clavadetscher SUI
18:45 CET - Istanbul (Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi)
GALATASARAY (TUR) - VFB STUTTGART (GER)
Referee: Christopher Kavanagh ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Gary Beswick ENG
Assistant Referee 2:Ian Hussin ENG Adam Nunn ENG
Fourth Official: Samuel Barrott ENG
Video Assistant Referee: Darren England ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Peter Bankes ENG
Assistant Referee 2:
Fourth Official: Samuel Barrott ENG
Video Assistant Referee: Darren England ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Peter Bankes ENG
UEFA Referee Observer: Björn Kuipers NED
UEFA Delegate: Eugène Westerink NED21:00 CET - Barcelona (Camp Nou)
FC BARCELONA (ESP) - ASTON VILLA FC (ENG)
Referee: Davide Massa ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Filippo Meli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alessio Berti ITA
Fourth Official: Fabio Maresca ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert GER
Assistant Referee 2: Alessio Berti ITA
Fourth Official: Fabio Maresca ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Lukas Fähndrich SUI
UEFA Referee Observer: Thomas Einwaller AUT
UEFA Delegate: Vito Di Gioia ITA
21:00 CET - Madrid (Estadio Metropolitano)
CLUB ATLÉTICO DE MADRID (ESP) - FC BAYERN MÜNCHEN (GER) Referee: François Letexier FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier FRAAssistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni FRA
Fourth Official: Ruddy Buquet FRA
Video Assistant Referee: Jérôme Brisard FRA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Piotr Lasyk POL
UEFA Referee Observer: Vladimir Petrov UKR
UEFA Delegate: Gerard Lawlor NIR
21:00 CET - Manchester (Old Trafford)
MANCHESTER UNITED FC (ENG) - AS ROMA (ITA)
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Gudalupe Porras Ayuso ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Barbero Sevilla ESP
Fourth Official: Juan Martínez Munuera ESP
Video Assistant Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande ESP
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Gudalupe Porras Ayuso ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Barbero Sevilla ESP
Fourth Official: Juan Martínez Munuera ESP
Video Assistant Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande ESP
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Markus Nobs SUI
UEFA Delegate: Karl Espen Eriksen NOR
21:00 CET - Rotterdam (Stadion Feijenoord "De Kuip")
FEYENOORD (NED) - FC INTERNAZIONALE (ITA)
Referee: Glenn Nyberg SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderkvist SWE
Fourth Official: Adam Ladebäck SWE
Video Assistant Referee: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderkvist SWE
Fourth Official: Adam Ladebäck SWE
Video Assistant Referee: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Stuart Attwell ENG
UEFA Referee Observer: Howard Webb ENG
UEFA Delegate: Andrey Medintsev BUL
21:00 CET - Bodø (Aspmyra)
BODØ/GLIMT (NOR) - LOSC LILLE (FRA)
Referee: João Pinheiro PORAssistant Referee 1: Luciano Maia POR
Assistant Referee 2: Hugo Marques POR
Fourth Official: João Gonçalves POR
Video Assistant Referee: Tiago Martins POR
Assistant Referee 2: Hugo Marques POR
Fourth Official: João Gonçalves POR
Video Assistant Referee: Tiago Martins POR
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Dennis Johan Higler NED
UEFA Referee Observer: Knut Kircher GER
UEFA Delegate: Kurt Zuppinger SUI
21:00 CET - Villarreal (Estadio de la Cerámica)
VILLARREAL CF (ESP) - PARIS SAINT GERMAIN (FRA)
Referee: Felix Zwayer GERAssistant Referee 1: Robert Kempter GER
Assistant Referee 2: Nikolai Kimmeyer GER
Fourth Official: Daniel Schlager GER
Video Assistant Referee: Christian Dingert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Robert Schröder GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Levan Paniashvili GEO
UEFA Delegate: Thibault De Gendt BEL
UEFA Delegate: Thibault De Gendt BEL
21:00 CET - Linz (Oberösterreich Arena)
LASK LINZ (AUT) - ŠK SLOVAN BRATISLAVA (SVK)
Referee: Donatas Rumšas LTUAssistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis LTU
Fourth Official: Dovydas Švėgžda LTU
Video Assistant Referee: Ivan Bebek CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis LTU
Fourth Official: Dovydas Švėgžda LTU
Video Assistant Referee: Ivan Bebek CRO
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Angelos Evangelou GRE
UEFA Referee Observer: Darko Čeferin SVN
UEFA Delegate Gijs De Jong NED
Gil Manzano again with Roma, curious appointment to be honest
ReplyDeleteFocus on Kavanagh seems to be the main topic of this first set for MD4 games.
ReplyDeleteIt's not the best timing, if you ask me, after the evident mistake the English referee made in his previous CL game with VAR intervention and then the very poor performance in Premier League.
But Kuipers and the committee want to see. So up to them.
Particular appointment because we know very often UEFA follows closely the domestic form of a referee, to make then the assignment, in this case they didn't look at all.
Galatasaray - Stuttgart can be a rather challenging one, maybe less than other games, but still on a certain level.
The couple assigned to VAR in this game seems rather on site, two names that are not seen among the officials called in Nyon.
Full English team in Turkey with maybe also Taylor watching them.
About the rest, we could say that it's becoming more and more predictable in terms of path, the management by Rosetti, you have a good performance in a CL game, the next one follows. This has created a very narrow pool of extremely trusted officials, more than the past. I think many years ago it was different, when there was more need to rotate referees, even if they officiated in an excellent way. With all the referees that belong to Elite category, the discussion could bring us to say that this is not a good management, but one must admit it's hard to ask fro a complete development of all names, so the committee prefers to stay on their own, with favoured referees and not many efforts for raising the level of the others. It's a change for me, if we think back at Collina's times in UEFA.
One should then analyze once again Mariani situation, if not assigned tomorrow, there was an absolute rejection and a sudden change of plans with Massa being the favorite. Mariani has lost a big of credit, that's sure.
Then,I wanted to mention Rumsas, after a rather good Feyenoord - Como, I would have expected more, but he is given one of the least interesting games of the round. Committee, for some reasons, doesn't want to expose him, it's clear. But, having reached a certain level and experience, it would be also expected to see the Lithuanian in a rather high profile game, I don't want to say a big match, but surely something more than this one. Nevertheless, his path is very good, but committee goes carefully.
Zwayer: we can see a step ahead, and he is doing rather well at the beginning of this season, it wasn't hard to do better than past season, but it must be underlined.
Pinheiro back in Champions League, maybe tomorrow this could happen for Makkelie, we will see.
Final remark about the VAR teams: more and more they are mixed with nationality, and they are trying to look for consistency among different cultures and ideas of refereeing, that's good if you ask me, even if in the end the number of trusted VARs remains always the same (and this is the point for criticism, in case).
Nyberg’s appointment to the match in Rotterdam—under the watchful eye of Webb—demonstrates that, despite the controversies surrounding the match in Madrid, UEFA remains confident in the Swedish official, even considering the circumstances that led to the red card shown to Yoro; consequently, they continue to view him as a candidate for a potential continental final. While De Kuip stadium is not as intensely hostile as Atlético de Madrid’s home ground, the fans are positioned very close to the pitch, and Nyberg will need to remain alert to the pressure from the Dutch supporters
DeleteFirst of all, the toughest match was given to Letexier, which was completely expected.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, apart from Massa in Barcelona, I think Manzano and Rumšas will also have easy matches. I could be wrong, but at first glance, they don't seem difficult to referee.
The rest are challenging matches, where the referees have the opportunity to show their level and preparation.
Thirdly, I really hope to see Makkelie and Stieler in the Champions League. The former deserves it after the Europa League match, while the latter really impressed me with how he refereed Borussia-Bayer yesterday.
Very good games voor Manzano, Letexier and Massa
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAndy Madley with one of the least controlled. big 6 premier league games ever
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Yellow Card bar completely eradicated after 60 seconds, missing the challenge by Nyoni.
DeleteStrange appointment in the first place. I understand not using the same 2/3 refs for every big 6 game but Madley hasn't been good at all since he had the FA Cup final in 2024. (Think he was pretty good that season)
DeleteHis first appointment to a clash with 2 big 6 teams since March 2024. Very odd appointment, unjustified.
DeleteTerrible from Madley in Liverpool v Arsenal.
ReplyDeleteNo game control, missed a lot and VAR Attwell missing a clear red card and the most blatant shirt pull in the box on Isak.
Very poor afternoon for two FIFA officials.
Just checked some incidents from Liverpool - Arsenal.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, a poor performance.
Missed very mandatory YC at the beginning:
https://streamain.com/en/2VjViFLlCWdPCZc/watch
Then the holding with a possible penalty:
https://streamin.me/v/031a70bb
One shouldn't say that, but in this case, if attacker had fallen down, very likely the perception by referee and VAR, but mostly VAR, would have been different. The holding was not short, but it continued for some moments and that's the key for me. UEFA would have assessed it as penalty. So, why Attwell, an experienced UEFA VAR, acts in a different way in Premier League?
About the other penalty appeal, in 28', I think you can support no call and VAR was correct to stay silent.
But referee didn't show to be ready to take decisions in this game.
Chefren, what did you think of the handball incident in Como v Venezia? Looked like the correct decision initially and VAR shouldn't have intervened.
DeleteThe ball was coming from a teammate, I think this could be the only argument for removing the penalty, but this guideline was never clear and all people here markes this decision as very big mistake. No explanation by AIA as they don't communicate anymore about VAR decisions with Orsato, but maybe from tomorrow onwards we will know the official assessment.
DeleteOnce again, a very troublesome situation for Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi, really sorry for her, in the few occasions she gets serie A games, she doesn't manage to have a clean game.
After that, however, she whistled a supportable penalty and correctly booked for a simulation in the end, losing a bit of foul detection here and there, but not really bad.
A pity what happened.
For me the penalty for handball should have been confirmed, but it was never clear to me if all incidents in which ball comes from a teammate, a defender, a penalty should be never given. There is still confusion about that.
https://streamin.link/v/727662a0
DeleteStarting with the Liverpool match, I think both the challenge on number 8 (Odegaard) and the shirt pull on number 9 (Isak) can be argued both ways for a yellow card and a penalty. There are valid points for and against giving them.
DeleteIf Liverpool's number 9 had been a bit smarter and gone down, it definitely would’ve been a penalty. This makes the decision tricky, because a referee's call shouldn't change based on how a player reacts
You'd think Orsato gives her more of a chance than Rocchi, who I think treated her pretty poorly. Would be very harsh to be punished for that decision. She's barely had any Serie A matches in the last 2 years, which might have influenced her to side with VAR.
DeleteKavanagh’s assistant referee has changed from Ian Hussin to Adam Nunn, meaning neither of the two assistants for this match has regularly worked with him this season. Both have been assistants to Taylor instead.
ReplyDeleteCook and Hussin are both working with Kavanagh on Sunday so likely aren't injured. Guessing the appointment of the AR's might be linked to Beswick leaving the FIFA list at the end of the year?...
DeleteHonestly, this appointment looks to be a gift to Taylor in Turkey by committee...
DeleteChefren. what do you mean ?
DeleteAnthony Taylor, who is currently the Chairman of the Referee Committee in Turkey, will probably be at the match tomorrow. He goes to every single match in Istanbul. These appointments don't seem innocent to me. 🤔
DeleteTo clarify, I meant that they want to pay tribute to the former English referee by sending him an officiating team from his own country, including his former assistant referees. So, in the end, if that were the case, the presence of committee member Kuipers wouldn't be for evaluation purposes from a refereeing standpoint, but rather as a ceremony!
Deletehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cdj4z0lwjzlo BBC article/small video clip with Darren England about the 2023 Liverpool offside incident and the fallout of it and his career achievements since then...
ReplyDeleteYC early for a Stuttgart player, really close to a RC for SFP imo, foot really high on the ankle, I guess acceptable no intervention but could have been different with other referees I think.
ReplyDeleteboderline
Deleteineffective conflict control from kavanagh
ReplyDeleteirregular foul detections
DeleteHuge confrontation in Galatasaray, only 2 YC, imo the perfect decision would have been 2 YC for no 53 from galatasaray. Correct management even if I don’t think that will change anything
ReplyDeleteWhat on earth do you want Kavanagh to do in that situation? It all kicked of on the sideline and nothing he could do to stop it
ReplyDeleteI agree overall but maybe be more pot active and stronger on his decision to let the players know that he will be there for the entire match and not letting players do what they want, but difficult task especially for a ‘’young’’ ref in UCL
DeleteHe handled it as well as he could. Book one of each team, have a word with the captains, and report it. Maybe could have whistled the careless arm or off the ball trip in the few seconds before it (unrelated to the scuffle), but then people would moan why no advantage (and it all happened very quickly). I think the other player involved at the start of it lucky to not be booked, but that's it, otherwise well handled
DeleteAnother terrible refereeing performance against Turkish teams. It's hard to believe this referee is a Premier League referee.
ReplyDeleteThe classic Kavanagh.
ReplyDeleteOK, maybe he could do nothing for preventing it, but then watching the scene in that way, so passive. Not nice.
What do you think about general foul determinations? I think they are very inconsistent.
DeleteAll Kavanagh was missing was a bucket of popcorn.
DeleteThis is my issue with Kavanagh - not even just related to this incident.
DeleteHe’s ‘fine’. As a PL watcher, I feel he generally does okay and in games where the teams are focussed on football he does well. He’s definitely being pushed this season following Taylor’s retirement and the need for a successor.
But, and I mean this in the most respectful way, I often watch him and feel like he needs someone to shake him to wake him up. He’s passive, doesn’t seem confident when making big decisions, doesn’t appear to interact well with players.
I cannot ever imagine him getting huge games at international level. Hopefully he develops and proves this wrong but I feel he’s had time. Far from Elite level for me.
It is for these and other reasons that the committee sent Kuipers to Istanbul. They wanted to assess whether Kavanagh might truly be England’s second-ranked official at the continental level following Taylor’s retirement.
DeleteAnd, in my view, he has yet to grasp that the UEFA sphere operates differently from the English one, both in terms of criteria and technique.
@K Thomas +1
Deleteclear penalty for Donetsk was missed in the 72nd minute. Why doesn't the VAR intervene?
ReplyDelete71 or 72 minute, why its not a penalty in favor of Shakhtar??? Yes, Shaktar player already passed the ball but with or without the ball you can't allow such reckless tackles unpunished.
ReplyDeleteClear penalty. Its not a difficult situation. The ball is alive (within the field of play). A Sporting player, in a sliding tackle, strikes a Shakhtar playe, also within the field of play. It is incomprehensible why this action was not penalized.
DeleteThe incident in the 72' minute of Kruzliak match is the exact picture of the problem with VAR and how it is used; the player's tackle on his opponent is clearly reckless, but since the ball is played first, this prevents intervention from the VAR room, as we know the UEFA guidelines for a high threshold for intervention. However, the problem is that the ball is essentially touched incidentally rather than anything else, and the consequences of the challenge fall entirely on the opponent. That should allow VAR to intervene, but they have hands tied by the protocol and the guidelines.
ReplyDeleteVideo of the incident: https://streamin.link/v/d84711ab
Deleteif that’s the case, they should scrap VAR. Ridiculous guidelines.
DeleteThey should return to distinguish between "playing the ball" and "touching the ball".
DeleteThen you can accept no penalty/no VAR as a rule of thumb, if the ball was played. But if the ball is only touched by the defender, it should have no influence on the assessment of the tackle.
Nyberg is doing a very good job in Rotterdam. He issued a yellow card to Çalhanoglu early in the match and another to a member of Inter’s coaching staff for dissent, in addition to confirming the second Italian goal via his watch sensor.
ReplyDeleteTop,top,top 1h by Leteixer in Madrid, under high pressure, with strong criteria,and top game flow!
ReplyDeleteYes, excellent performance! Fantastic Francois at it again, top top top. In a league of his own. Top top top.
DeleteIn the Galatasaray-Stuttgart match, it became clear that Kavanagh is certainly not on the level of an Anthony Taylor or an Oliver. His officiating on the pitch and his handling of situations are neutral—he lacks authority. I would also say that he is affected by the atmosphere. He is a decent referee, but only for average Premier League matches.
ReplyDeleteI don't think he was affected by the atmosphere; if he were, the decisions wouldn't have gone in Stuttgart's favor. He has officiated matches in a similar atmosphere at the Fenerbahçe stadium four times, so he has plenty of experience handling this kind of pressure.
DeleteGil Manzano with a phantom penalty. Horrendous
ReplyDeleteVery soft call by Gil Manzano with a penalty to United.
ReplyDeleteLooks like only a hand on the shoulder without any intensity.
Never a penalty. Bad ref.
DeleteLook at the feet. It’s a tripping
Delete2 penalties for Manzano.. how were the decisions
ReplyDeleteRoma penalty was clear, Man U penalty very soft in my view just wrong
DeleteJust saw the second one.. extremely soft
DeleteAnd now Manzano losing the match, wrong calls, often far from the action, lenient approach. Overrated referee
ReplyDeleteThat is why Collina did not select him for the World Cup. An ambiguous and confused referee.
DeleteFor those saying man utd was soft. Look at the feet. It’s a tripping and that is why the penalty is called, not for the light push in the back.
ReplyDeleteHis fall to ground is caused by Cunha tripping himself.
DeleteHe tripped himself because one of his foot got tripped by the defender first. Like almost always when players “trips themselves”.
DeleteThere is a very small contact and then he tripped himself as what i am seeing.. i am not talking about the push on the back
DeleteExcellent play on decision by letexier around 77‘, for what looked like an easy penalty for holding live. Perfectly positioned as well…
ReplyDeleteBayern’s disallowed 3rd goal is wrong..
ReplyDeleteI disagree. Upamecano committed a foul on the Atlético Madrid player.
DeleteLincoln. Both players are pulling each other.
Delete81st minute. Two situations, first possible foul on keeper (nothing really) then Upamecano vs Pubill (both are holding tbh). I think awarding goal would be the better decision but no clear mistake.
DeleteGrey decision. Very difficult on a corner with a lot of contacts involved. Confirmation by VAR Brisard that a foul
Deletewas done. No problem at all.
A refereeing masterclass from Letexier and his team! A perfect example of modern game management: two well-judged yellow cards, excellent player management, and a strong focus on keeping the game flowing. Outstanding performance!
ReplyDeleteLetexier is sending a message to Oliver: "I want to be at the final in Madrid next year." Hahaha.
DeleteBut, of course, that’s assuming PSG doesn’t make it to the final again
Oliver is the referee that deserves the ucl final by far.. his level has been nothing short of incredible since last season
DeleteYes it is shorter, not so much,but obvious. Letexier is clear contedner, depend on PSG of course!
DeleteAbsolutely agree @Referee Analyst
DeleteVery solid from nyberg.. I quite like the authority he puts when he referees.. very confident
ReplyDeletevery firm and solid officiating performance from the Swede. Three yellow cards, one goal confirmed with the help of goal-line technology, and another goal disallowed with the aid of semi-automated offside technology. He and Letexier are the standouts of this Tuesday.
DeleteWell done Gil, managed to ruin a match, or maybe not…
ReplyDeleteWas it bad foul detection or!?
DeleteHe was annoying. Always lenient, awful foul detection, invented penalty, missed RC for Maguire, and I can continue.
DeleteManzano's performance in MUC-ROM was an absolute masterclass in how not to referee like an Élite in UCL.
ReplyDeleteClearly striving for complete inconsistency, his disciplinary approach was a total mystery. He casually overlooked a textbook straight RC for a MUC 'step on foot' and completely forgot how second YC work right before the 3-2 goal.
Anyway he successfully managed to let the match turn into a complete brawl.
Always safely distanced from the action, hesitant, and displaying all the decisiveness of a melting ice cream, he definitely earned himself a few months of mandatory vacation to think about it.
At this rate, Manzano might end up missing out on Euro 2028, just as he missed out on this year’s World Cup. It seems he enjoys disrupting the smooth flow of a match.
DeleteDid you watch both letexier and manzano or what ?
DeleteYes, I’ve a double screen video.
DeleteI hope the “Gil Manzano gets big games” era is now finally over. We must generally consider that Spain has currently no referees who are on Top-CL-level.
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly, although Spain is the current European and world champion, its referees have failed to advance in high-stakes tournaments.
DeleteTake Hdz Hdz, for instance: he wasn’t even appointed to the final stages of the World Cup (he only officiated a single match during the group stage).
Since Lahoz’s retirement, no one else has emerged as a highly respected referee within UEFA or FIFA.
Lincoln is hyping up referee Letexier way too much. Yes, he is a good referee, but he certainly doesn’t deserve all this praise and recognition. He handled the match well, but it was not a difficult game by any means.
ReplyDeleteI’ve watched his matches over the past few seasons, including the World Cup, and in almost every difficult knockout-stage game he has officiated, there have been some questionable aspects to his performance.
Simply put, he still hasn’t reached the level of the top elite referees like Turpin, Marciniak, and Oliver. So enough with all this excessive praise!
You sound like a hater, full of resentment toward the person in question. If he doesn’t deserve any praise, then he doesn’t deserve to be in the Euro 2024 final either. Stop making a mountain out of a molehill.
Delete