# European football referee appointments 2026

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/european-football-referee-appointments-2026
> Updated: 2026-08-11T10:51:00.000Z. Sources: 15. Developments: 3.

In mid‑July 2026, the Bulgarian Football Union released its referee roster for the opening round of the 2026/27 efbet Liga, naming officials such as Georgi Kabakov, Radislav Gidjenov, and Lyuboslav Lyubomirov for specific domestic fixtures.

A few weeks later, in early August 2026, the Romanian Football Federation announced five referee teams to officiate UEFA club matches across the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League. On 4 August 2026, the federation confirmed these crews for decisive European fixtures, naming Marian Barbu as the lead official for the Europa League tie between Benfica and Hearts, supported by assistants Mircea Grigoriu and Imre Bucsi, fourth official Radu Petrescu, and VAR operators Cătălin Popa and Marcel Bîrsan. The federation also announced a new digital match‑report platform for the 2026‑27 season, which will publish live data including scores, line‑ups, and disciplinary actions via the HaiLaFotbal.ro portal.

By 11 August 2026, the Bulgarian Football Union’s Referee Commission released further officiating assignments for upcoming efbet Liga rounds. Notable appointments include Lyuboslav Lyubomirov for the Sofia derby between Slavia and Levski, and Dragomir Draganov for the Ludogorets versus Botev Plovdiv match. Additionally, Nikola Popov was selected to referee the match between CSKA and Botev Vratsa, a decision that has drawn attention due to previous tensions between the referee and the CSKA club.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-11: Bulgarian Football Union announces referee assignments for efbet Liga

The Bulgarian Football Union has announced referee assignments for the efbet Liga, including Lyuboslav Lyubomirov for the Slavia-Levski derby and Nikola Popov for the CSKA match.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bulgarian-football-union-announces-referee-assignments-for-efbet-liga

### 2026-08-04: Romania’s football clubs and federation gear up for 2026 European fixtures

Romanian clubs and officials ready for 2026 European matches: CFR Cluj faces Tromsø, Romanian referees appointed, FRF launches digital match reports, Cupa României sees high‑scoring games, Universitatea Cluj to

13 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/romanian-referee-squads-appointed-for-uefa-2026-champions-europa-and-conference-league-matches

### 2026-07-14: Bulgarian Football Union names referees for 2026/27 First League opener

The Bulgarian Football Union announced referee assignments for the opening round of the 2026/27 efbet Liga, featuring Georgi Kabakov for Botev Vratsa‑Cherno More and Radislav Gidjenov for the Slavia‑CSKA derby.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bulgarian-football-union-names-referees-for-202627-first-league-opener

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Cite as: European football referee appointments 2026. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/european-football-referee-appointments-2026