Referee watch: Who is Chris Kavanagh and what does his refereeing history tell us ahead of Barcelona vs Slavia Prague | OneFootball

The 2-1 loss of FC Barcelona against Real Sociedad in La Liga at the Reale Arena may have brought their winning run in La Liga to an end, but it also reignited a familiar debate around refereeing decisions involving the Catalan club.

Once again, Gil Manzano found himself under scrutiny after officiating a Barcelona match, adding tension to an already demanding schedule.

With that context in mind, refereeing has become an important subplot ahead of Barcelona’s next fixture in the Champions League. The Blaugranes travel to the Czech Republic to face Slavia Prague this Wednesday in matchday 7 of the League Phase, the penultimate round of the competition.

According to SPORT, UEFA confirmed on Monday that English referee Chris Kavanagh will be in charge of the encounter. It will be the first time the 40-year-old official has refereed a Barcelona match, a notable detail given the club’s recent frustrations with officiating in domestic competition.

Kavanagh has been a FIFA international referee since 2019 and was added to UEFA’s elite referees list in December 2025, underlining his growing status at the continental level. Wednesday’s match will be his 5th Champions League appointment.

He made his debut in the competition last season with Slovan Bratislava’s defeat to Stuttgart and has already officiated three League Phase matches this season, including Inter against Slavia Prague and Eintracht Frankfurt against Atalanta.

Across his career, Chris Kavanagh has taken charge of close to 500 matches. His experience spans 181 Premier League games, 80 in the Championship, and 44 in the National League, among other competitions. He has issued 60 red cards in total, with 19 coming via second yellow cards and 41 as straight dismissals, while also awarding 101 penalties.

In high-profile domestic fixtures, Kavanagh has regularly been trusted by English authorities. Earlier this season, he officiated the Community Shield final between Crystal Palace and Liverpool, which was decided by a penalty shootout.

Last season, he refereed the Premier League promotion play-off final between Sheffield United and Sunderland, as well as the EFL Cup final in which Liverpool edged Chelsea after extra time.

While he is not considered a controversial figure in English football, Barcelona will be hoping that his first involvement in one of their matches comes without major incidents.

After a weekend in which refereeing once again became a talking point, the Catalan side will be eager for a calm and controlled European night as they look to secure their objectives in the Champions League.