The UEFA Referees Committee has announced the referee for the first leg of the Champions League knockout stage between Real Madrid and Manchester City, which will take place at the Etihad Stadium next Tuesday.
On the official UEFA website, the committee confirmed that French referee Clement Turpin will officiate the match between the English and Spanish teams. Turpin will be assisted by fellow French referees Nicolas Danos and Benjamin Biges, with Mathieu Vernes as the fourth official. Jerome Brisard and Willy Delagoud will manage the VAR and its assistant duties.
This will be Turpin’s eighth time refereeing a match involving Real Madrid in the Champions League, having previously overseen seven of their games, all of which saw Real Madrid come out on top.
Matches that Turpin has refereed for Real Madrid in the Champions League
Turpin has previously refereed Real Madrid’s match against Bulgaria’s Ludogorets in the 2014-15 group stage, which ended in a 4-0 win for Madrid. He also managed the 2018-19 group-stage game against Roma, which saw a 2-0 victory for the Spanish club.
He has also refereed Real Madrid‘s games against Chelsea in the 2021-22 quarter-finals (first leg), which Madrid won 3-1, as well as the 2021-22 final against Liverpool, which ended in a 1-0 win for Madrid. In addition, he was the referee for the Real Madrid vs Napoli match in the 2023-24 group stage, which Madrid won 3-2.
The most recent match Turpin managed for Real Madrid in the Champions League was the first leg of the 2023-24 semi-finals against Bayern Munich, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Real Madrid has never lost under Turpin’s refereeing in the Champions League.
On the other hand, Turpin has managed only four matches involving Manchester City, with the English side winning two, drawing one, and losing one.
It’s important to note that Manchester City will host Real Madrid next Tuesday, February 11, for the first leg of the Champions League knockout stage, with the return leg set for February 19 at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
