Bayern Munich vs Arsenal: Who is the referee? Champions League match officials confirmed
Arsenal's pursuit of European glory continues on Wednesday night when they visit Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in the Champions League.
The Gunners don't have happy memories of the iconic stadium in Bavaria, with the ground serving up many miserable nights for the North Londoners in recent times. Mikel Arteta is obsessed with undoing hoodoos and righting wrongs, so he'll be desperate for his players to put on a show for the travelling supporters in Munich.
The stakes may not be particularly high in the context of the League Phase, but the scars of Arsenal's past with Bayern will mean the Gunners' players will carry some vengeance into this fixture. That, combined with the villainous Harry Kane leading the German giants, should be enough to make this a feisty affair.
With that said, here’s a look at UEFA's picks for the match officials for Bayern Munich vs Arsenal.
Who is the referee for Bayern Munich vs Arsenal?
UEFA have announced that Davide Massa will be the referee in charge of Arsenal's match against Bayern Munich.
Massa officiated just one of the Gunners' matches last season - their 4-0 League Phase victory over Atletico Madrid at the Emirates. The year before, the Italian oversaw Arsenal's 3-0 win over Monaco in N5.
Davide Massa's record officiating Arsenal
Massa has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2014, and has officiated five Arsenal games throughout his career.
In these games, he’s handed the Gunners seven yellow cards, no red cards and no penalties, with the North Londoners emerging victorious in all but one of these encounters.
Massa rose through the refereeing ranks in Italy and only started being handed European matches in 2016, while he made his Champions League debut in 2018/19, hence his lack of a repertoire overseeing Arsenal. He is now revered as one of Italy's best officials, although he's not expected to be selected to work at Euro 2028.
| Matches | Arsenal Wins | Arsenal Draws | Arsenal Defeats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
Davide Massa's record officiating Bayern Munich
As for Bayern, Massa has officiated just two of die Roten's games, giving them four yellow cards, no red cards and no penalties in the process.
| Matches | Bayern Wins | Bayern Draws | Bayern Defeats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Who are the assistant referees and VAR?
Alongside Massa as the referee will be his assistants, compatriots Filippo Meli, Alessio Berti and Fabio Maresca, with the former two running the line and the latter the fourth official.
In the VAR room, Spaniard Carlos del Cerro Grande will oversee the game, with another Italian, Marco Di Bello, assisting him.
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