Spanish ref Manzano for Ukraine vs. Italy

Spanish referee Jesus Gil Manzano has been appointed to officiate the crucial EURO 2024 qualifier between Italy and Ukraine.

It kicks off at the BayArena in Leverkusen on Monday at 19.45 GMT.

A point would be enough for Italy to qualify for the tournament thanks to a superior head-to-head record, having beaten Ukraine 2-1 at San Siro in September thanks to a Davide Frattesi brace.

UEFA appointed Manzano to the role, with Diego Barbero and Angel Nevado as his assistants and fourth official Guillermo Cuadra.

The VAR team is also Spanish, Juan Martinez Munuera and Carlos del Cerro Grande.

The 39-year-old referee only officiated the senior Italy squad once before, their 1-0 Nations League victory over England in September 2022.

His overall record with Italian teams at club and youth level is of 12 wins, two draws and eight defeats.

The most recent was Milan’s 2-1 Champions League win over PSG on November 7.

Manzano’s only previous match for the Ukraine national team was a 2-1 win away to Finland in October 2021.