Vincic to officiate Real Madrid-Milan in Champions League

COLOGNE, GERMANY - JUNE 15: Referee Slavko Vincic reacts during the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage match between Hungary and Switzerland at Cologne Stadium on June 15, 2024 in Cologne, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic has been assigned to the big Champions League match between Real Madrid and Milan, while Lille-Juventus and Bologna-Monaco also get their officials.

The Champions League returns on Tuesday and there are three Italian teams in action.

All eyes will be on the Estadio Bernabeu when Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid host his former club Milan.

UEFA have assigned Slovenian referee Vincic to that game, with Pol van Boekel of the Netherlands in the VAR booth.

Real Madrid and Milan look to Vincic

epa11675529 AC Milan’s head coach Paulo Fonseca gives intructions during the UEFA Champions League soccer match between AC Miland and Club Brugge, in Milan, Italy, 22 October 2024. EPA-EFE/DANIEL DAL ZENNARO

The 44-year-old also officiated the 2024 Champions League Final, when Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0, but that is surprisingly his only game involving the Merengues.

As for Milan, he oversaw a 1-1 draw with Manchester United in 2021, their 1-0 victory away to Atletico Madrid in November 2021 and the 3-0 defeat to PSG in October 2023.

However, Vincic is most famous in Spain for Barcelona blaming him for poor officiating during a Champions League defeat to Inter in 2022.

Juventus try to get back on track in the Champions League by visiting Lille and the referee for that fixture is Irfan Peljto of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Dutchman Dennis Higler as the VAR.

Bologna host AS Monaco at the Stadio Dall’Ara and the referee for that game is Aliyar Aghayev of Azerbaijan, with Pascal Muller from Germany in the VAR booth.