Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs will be at the center of the most anticipated match next week in the UEFA Champions League main group.
Following Olympiacos – Pafos 0-0 and Villarreal – Juventus 2-2, in the first two Champions League rounds, Kovacs will now officiate the clash between Liverpool and Real Madrid, a match scheduled to take place at the legendary Anfield on Tuesday at 10 p.m.
Kovacs will be assisted on the sidelines by Mihai Marica and Ferencz Tunyogi, with Marcel Bîrsan designated as the fourth official. In the VAR room, German Bastian Dankert and Swiss Fedayi San will be present.
The 41-year-old Romanian has previously officiated such a high-profile match, a Liverpool - Real encounter, also in the Champions League, at Anfield, during the 2022/2023 season, when the Madrid team won convincingly with a score of 5-2.
The Carei-born referee was shortlisted for the "Best Referee in the World" award in 2025. The current title holder, Frenchman François Letexier, is once again nominated. Alongside him, prominent figures like Polish Szymon Marciniak, Englishman Michael Oliver, Frenchman Clement Turpin, and Slovenian Slavko Vincici are also mentioned.