Referee appointed for Real Madrid vs AEK Athens in UEFA Champions League

UEFA has appointed Italian referee Maurizio Mariani to officiate the match between Real Madrid and AEK Athens, as part of the fourth round of the UEFA Champions League, at the Aloha Stadium in the Greek capital.

Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" reported that Mariani, 43 years old, will lead the match in his first appearance during the league stage of the competition this season, with his compatriot Valerio Marini taking on the role of assistant video referee.

This will be the fourth match officiated by the Italian referee for Real Madrid in European competitions, after the Spanish team achieved two victories and one defeat in the previous three matches.

The last match officiated by Mariani for Real Madrid was against Manchester City in the first leg of the Round of 16, which ended in a 3-0 victory for the royal team. Their only defeat came against Lille in the 2024/2025 season, losing 1-0.

The other victory was against RB Leipzig, winning 2-0 in the group stage of the 2022/2023 season.