Bosnian referee Irfan Peljto appointed for Marseille’s clash against Real Madrid | OneFootball

UEFA have confirmed that Bosnian referee Irfan Peljto (41) will take charge of Marseille’s trip to the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday evening (21:00 CET) as the club marks its return to the Champions League group stages.

Peljto, an international referee since 2021, has never officiated Marseille in the Champions League, though he has crossed paths with the Olympiens in Europe. He oversaw their 1-1 draw with Lokomotiv Moscow in the Europa League in September 2021 and their 2-1 Conference League win over Basel in March 2022.

The Bosnian official has already refereed Real Madrid twice in the Champions League, with one win and one defeat for Los Blancos. Last season, Peljto was handed high-profile assignments, including the play-off first leg between Brest and PSG (0-3), the quarter-final first leg between Arsenal and Real Madrid (3-0), and the Conference League final, where Chelsea beat Real Betis 4-1.

The appointment comes at a delicate moment for the Spanish champions. Real Madrid have been vocal in their criticism of refereeing standards in La Liga following controversial decisions in their opening matches. Despite winning 2-1 against Real Sociedad on Saturday, the club announced they would be filing a complaint to FIFA regarding what they deem consistent officiating errors.

While there is no historic rivalry between Real Madrid and Marseille, the fixture has been classified as “high risk” by the Spanish Interior Ministry, also heightening security measures around the Bernabéu – with the reported presence of Lyon’s Bad Gones ultra group, who are set to travel to Spain to meet with the Ultras Sur of Real Madrid against their Olimpico rivals. GFFN | George Boxall