🏆 Sports

Romanian Referees Selected for UEFA Conference League Play-off Matches

17 Aug 2026, 14:25

UEFA has chosen two referee crews from Romania to officiate in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League play-offs. This selection highlights the growing recognition of Romanian officials on the European stage.

The match featuring Rangers FC from Scotland against FK Jablonec from the Czech Republic will be overseen by a crew led by Marian Barbu. The game is set to take place at Ibrox Stadium on Thursday, August 20, starting at 21:45. Assisting Barbu will be Mircea Grigoriu and Imre Bucsi, with George Roman serving as the fourth official. Cătălin Popa and Marcel Bîrsan will take charge of the VAR room for this match.

In another match, Radu Petrescu will lead the officiating team for the encounter between Motherwell FC, also from Scotland, and SC Freiburg from Germany. This match will occur at Fir Park Stadium, commencing at 21:30. Radu Ghinguleac and Cosmin Bojan will assist Petrescu, while Andrei Chivulete will act as the fourth official. Ovidiu Hațegan and Cristina Trandafir will handle VAR duties for the Motherwell versus Freiburg match.

These appointments not only showcase the talent of Romanian referees but also affirm their commitment to maintaining high standards in officiating at significant international events.