Ukrainian referees will officiate a PSG match in the Champions League
A Ukrainian refereeing crew has been assigned to a match in the first round of the 2026/27 Champions League group stage. Mykola Balakin and his assistants will officiate the match between France’s PSG and Slovakia’s Slovan, which will take place in Paris.
The UEFA Referees Committee has entrusted the Ukrainian referees with officiating the first-round match of the Champions League group stage. The reigning champions, PSG, will face Slovakia’s Slovan from Bratislava at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Mykola Balakin has been appointed as the head referee for the match. He will be assisted by Oleksandr Berkut and Viktor Matyash as assistant referees.
Dmytro Panchyshyn will serve as the fourth official. The Ukrainian officiating crew will not be complete, however, as foreign specialists will be responsible for operating the VAR system. Englishman Michael Salisbury has been named the chief video referee, and Slovenian Matej Jug will serve as his assistant on the VAR team.
For Mykola Balakin, this will be his fifth career match at the Champions League group stage level. This appointment is significant for Ukrainian refereeing. Balakin already has experience officiating matches in Europe’s most prestigious club tournament, and now he has once again been given the opportunity to referee a game featuring one of Europe’s most famous clubs.
Ukrainians will be playing in the match
The match in Paris will also be of interest to Ukrainian fans because of the teams’ rosters. Ukrainian defender Illia Zabarnyi plays for PSG. He joined the French club after transferring from England’s Bournemouth. Slovan’s roster also includes Ukrainian players. Midfielder Danylo Ignatenko and forward Mykola Kukharevych play for the Bratislava club.
So the match could turn into a unique gathering of Ukrainian players and referees at one of Europe’s most famous soccer stadiums. At the same time, for PSG itself, this will mark the start of the new Champions League season as the defending champion. The French club will defend its title and kick off its European campaign with a home match.
When will the match take place?
The match between PSG and Slovan is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9. The teams will play at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. Kickoff is at 10:00 p.m. Kyiv time.
For the Ukrainian refereeing crew, this will be an opportunity to officiate a major European Cup match at one of Europe’s most famous stadiums. Particular attention will be focused on Mykola Balakin, for whom this is already his fifth assignment in the main phase of the Champions League.
The appointment of Ukrainian referees also adds to the match’s appeal for Ukrainian fans. PSG’s Ukrainian player Illia Zabarnyi and Slovan players Danylo Ignatenko and Mykola Kukharevych could all be on the field at the same time, while a Ukrainian refereeing crew will ensure the rules are followed. This was reported by the official website of the Ukrainian Football Association.
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