Champions League Referee Appointments Confirmed for Tuesday and Wednesday’s Quarter-Finals
UEFA has now confirmed the referee appointments for all four Champions League quarter-final first legs, with matches spread across Tuesday 7 April and Wednesday 8 April. For The VAR Verdict, this is where the week really starts: not just with the fixture list, but with the officials who will manage some of the biggest knockout nights of the season. The four ties are Real Madrid vs Bayern München, Sporting CP vs Arsenal, Barcelona vs Atlético de Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain vs Liverpool.
Tuesday 7 April referee appointments
Real Madrid vs Bayern München
UEFA has appointed Michael Oliver of England as referee for Real Madrid vs Bayern München at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. His assistant referees are Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring, the fourth official is Andrew Madley, the VAR is Jarred Gillett, and the AVAR is Marco Di Bello. The match is scheduled for Tuesday 7 April at 21:00 CET.
The numbers behind the tie are exactly what you would expect from two European giants. UEFA says no two teams have met more often in UEFA competition, with this becoming their 29th meeting, and Real Madrid lead the overall head-to-head with 13 wins to Bayern’s 11, plus four draws. Real are in the European Cup or Champions League quarter-finals for a record 41st time, while Bayern are making their 36th appearance at this stage. UEFA also notes that Real have won the last four two-legged ties between the clubs and are unbeaten in their last nine UEFA matches against Bayern.
From a refereeing angle, this is one of the hardest appointments of the round. The history is huge, the pressure is automatic, and the tie carries elite-level penalty-area and disciplinary risk. That is an editorial reading of the matchup based on the scale and history UEFA lists.
Sporting CP vs Arsenal
For Sporting CP vs Arsenal in Lisbon, UEFA has appointed Daniel Siebert of Germany as referee. His assistant referees are Jan Seidel and Rafael Foltyn, the fourth official is Daniel Schlager, the VAR is Bastian Dankert, and the AVAR is Sören Storks. The venue is the Estádio José Alvalade, and kick-off is also Tuesday 7 April at 21:00 CET.
Statistically, this tie is more interesting than it first looks. UEFA says Arsenal are unbeaten in European competition against Sporting CP with two wins and three draws, including a 5-1 win in Lisbon in last season’s league phase, but the only two-legged UEFA tie between the clubs ended with Sporting progressing on penalties in the 2022/23 Europa League round of 16. UEFA also notes that English clubs have won the last ten Champions League two-legged ties against Portuguese opposition, while Sporting are trying to become the first Portuguese club to win a Champions League quarter-final since Porto in 2003/04.
There is also an obvious personal storyline. Viktor Gyökeres returns to face Sporting after scoring 97 goals in 102 competitive games for the Portuguese club between 2023 and 2025 before moving to Arsenal. That does not change the officiating, but it does add another emotional layer to a tie that may already carry a sharp edge.
Wednesday 8 April referee appointments
Barcelona vs Atlético de Madrid
UEFA has appointed István Kovács of Romania as referee for Barcelona vs Atlético de Madrid at Camp Nou. His assistant referees are Mihai Marica and Ferencz Tunyogi, the fourth official is Szabolcs Kovács, the VAR is Christian Dingert, and the AVAR is Tiago Martins. The match is set for Wednesday 8 April at 21:00 CET.
UEFA’s stats make this tie especially strong for a refereeing audience. All previous UEFA meetings between Barcelona and Atlético have come in the Champions League quarter-finals, and Atlético have won both previous ties, in 2013/14 and 2015/16. Barcelona have won their last four home games in this competition while scoring 19 goals across those matches, while Atlético’s 12 Champions League fixtures this season have produced 55 goals, an average of 4.58 per game. UEFA also notes that Barcelona have failed to score in only one of their last 30 Champions League matches, while Julián Alvarez has scored 14 goals in his last 17 Champions League appearances.
From an officiating standpoint, this looks like one of the most volatile ties of the week. That is an editorial inference based on the all-Spanish rivalry, the recent scoring numbers, and UEFA’s own form indicators rather than a formal UEFA description.
Paris Saint-Germain vs Liverpool
For Paris Saint-Germain vs Liverpool at the Parc des Princes, UEFA has appointed José María Sánchez of Spain as referee. His assistant referees are Raúl Cabañero and Iñigo Prieto, the fourth official is Juan Martínez Munuera, the VAR is Carlos del Cerro Grande, and the AVAR is Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez. Kick-off is Wednesday 8 April at 21:00 CET.
The tie itself comes with a serious recent narrative. UEFA says Paris and Liverpool have met six times in UEFA competition, with three wins each, but Paris have won both two-legged ties between the clubs, including last season’s Champions League round of 16 on penalties. UEFA also says Paris have won their last four UEFA two-legged ties against English teams and their last four Champions League quarter-final ties, while Liverpool have won six of their last eight Champions League quarter-final ties.
Individually, UEFA highlights Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scoring in three successive Champions League knockout matches for Paris, and Dominik Szoboszlai scoring in five of his last eight Champions League appearances for Liverpool. The preview page also says Paris come in after a 3-1 win over Toulouse, while Liverpool arrive after a 4-0 FA Cup defeat to Manchester City, which gives the first leg a slightly different emotional shape for each side.
What stands out about the appointments
There is a clear pattern in UEFA’s choices. Michael Oliver, Daniel Siebert, István Kovács, and José María Sánchez are all experienced officials for ties that each carry a different kind of pressure: elite historical weight in Madrid, a tactical and emotional subplot in Lisbon, a domestic-rivalry collision in Barcelona, and a heavyweight repeat knockout meeting in Paris. That is my editorial interpretation of the assignments, based on the crews UEFA selected and the context around the matches.
For The VAR Verdict, the main point is simple: these are not routine appointments. Every one of these matches has either deep European history, explosive current form, or both. The referee teams will not just apply the Laws of the Game; they may end up shaping the entire tone of the quarter-finals. That final sentence is analysis, but it is grounded in the scale and statistical profile UEFA lays out for each tie.
Final verdict
UEFA has gone strong with its referee selections for both quarter-final nights. Michael Oliver gets Real Madrid vs Bayern, Daniel Siebert takes Sporting vs Arsenal, István Kovács handles Barcelona vs Atlético, and José María Sánchez has Paris vs Liverpool. On paper, all four assignments fit the scale of the occasion. The real question now is not whether the appointments look right, but whether the officials can keep control once the knockout tension rises.
