UEFA has confirmed the official referee for the UCL second leg match between Real Madrid and Arsenal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Arsenal will go into the match as favorites, holding a commanding 3-0 lead from the first leg. The competition’s governing body has confirmed the referee for the match to be Francois Letexier.
Letexier, a seasoned official with a wealth of experience in European competition, has previously refereed four matches involving Real Madrid.
Notably, he oversaw their 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League group stage last November and the thrilling 3-3 draw against Manchester City in the quarter-final last season.
This will be Letexier’s first time refereeing an Arsenal match, which could potentially add an extra layer of complexity to an already high-stakes encounter.
However, the 35-year-old has demonstrated his ability to handle pressure, having officiated the Euro 2024 final between England and Spain last summer.
Arsenal’s 3-0 lead from the first leg puts them in a strong position to reach the Champions League semi-final, where they would face either Paris Saint-Germain or Aston Villa, with Paris Saint-Germain already holding a 3-1 lead from the first leg at the Parc des Princes.
Mikel Arteta’s side will look to build on their impressive performance in the first leg, which saw Declan Rice score a brace and Mikel Merino add a third goal.
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