UEFA announced the appointment of the veteran French referee François Letexier to officiate the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 between Barcelona and Newcastle United next Wednesday at 7:45 PM Cairo time, after their draw in the first leg in England. Letexier is currently one of the most trusted referees in UEFA.

François Letexier previously officiated the European playoff first leg between Benfica and Real Madrid, which was halted for ten minutes due to the alleged racist incident between players Bristiani and Vinicius Junior, sparking widespread controversy at the time. This season, Letexier has officiated nine other European matches, including the Atletico Madrid vs Inter Milan group stage match, which ended 2-1.

This will be the third match Letexier officiates for Barcelona, following two matches last season that ended in victories for the Catalan team. The first was in the group stage against Borussia Dortmund in Germany, ending 3-2, and the second was in the Round of 16 second leg against Benfica at the Montjuïc Stadium, ending 3-1. For Newcastle, this will be the first time Letexier officiates for the English team in European competitions.

Assistant referee Bram Van Driessche will be in charge of the video assistant referee technology to monitor the match proceedings and ensure refereeing justice.