Barça vs PSG: Assigned Referee Unveiled, a Bad Omen?

Istvan Kovacs will be the main referee for the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final between FC Barcelona and PSG, Tuesday night at 9 p.m.

The Romanian will be assisted by his compatriots Vasile Florin Marinescu and Ovidiu Artene, while Horaiu Fenic will serve as the fourth official. Germans Marco Fritz and Bastian Dankert will be in charge of the video assistant referee (VAR).

With substantial experience, having officiated in over 500 matches, Kovacs has already made 21 appearances as the main referee in the Champions League, including three in the knockout stages. PSG encountered him twice in this competition, against Galatasaray in 2019 in a 5-0 victory, and more recently against Newcastle in a 4-1 defeat earlier this season.

Although he has never officiated a Barcelona match in the Champions League, Kovacs refereed the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 between Napoli and Barcelona, which ended in a 1-1 draw in the 2021-2022 season.

It’s worth noting that Kovacs drew the ire of Marseille’s executives last March when he was appointed to referee the second leg of the Europa League round of 16, which ended in a 3-1 defeat for Marseille.