Referee Named for Real Madrid vs. Man City—A Game-Changer

UEFA has appointed István Kovács as the referee for the Champions League second-leg playoff between Real Madrid and Manchester City on Wednesday night at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

This will be the fourth time that the Romanian referee has officiated a Real Madrid match in the Champions League.

Kovács was in charge when Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 5-2 in the 2024/25 Champions League league phase. He also officiated Madrid’s 5-2 victory over Liverpool in the 2022/23 Round of 16 first leg. Additionally, he was the referee for Real Madrid’s 4-3 win against Manchester City in the 2021/22 semifinal first leg.

For the first leg of this playoff, which took place last Tuesday at the Etihad Stadium, the match was officiated by Clément Turpin. Real Madrid won 3-2, with Jude Bellingham scoring a late goal in stoppage time.

The winner of this two-leg battle will move on to the Champions League Round of 16.