Felix Zwayer to referee UCL clash between Napoli and Barca

German referee Felix Zwayer has been appointed to referee the first leg of Barcelona's Champions League last-16 tie against Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples, while 38-year-old Dutchman Serdar Gozubuyuk will referee the clash between Porto and Arsenal.

Zwayer has already refereed three matches in Europe's top competition this season: Sevilla's 2-1 defeat at Lens, Atletico Madrid's 2-2 draw in Glasgow against Celtic and Arsenal's 4-0 win over PSV Eindhoven.

It will be the second time he has refereed a Barcelona game in the tournament after refereeing a 2-4 win against Tottenham Hotspur on 3rd October 2018.

As far as Napoli are concerned, there are threee previous matches with a win, a draw and a defeat. In addition, he was in charge in the 2023 Nations League final that Spain beat Croatia. On this occasion, he will be assisted on the sidelines by Stefan Lupp and Robert Kempter, and in the VAR room by Bastian Dankert, all of whom are his compatriots.

Gozubuyuk will also be taking charge of his fourth match in the competition this term and it will be the first time he has refereed both Porto and Arsenal in the Champions League, although he has already officiated one game for each of them in the Europa League.

He will be part of an all-Dutch refereeing corps that will also include linesmen Erwin Zeinstra and Joah Balder and referee Dennis Higler in the VAR room.

 

February 19, 2024