Maltese Match Officials Appointed for UEFA Conference League Third Qualifying Round Ties

Maltese refereeing talent takes center stage in European football today, with two complete refereeing teams from Malta selected by UEFA to officiate crucial UEFA Conference League Third Qualifying Round fixtures on Thursday, August 6, 2026.

FC Noah vs. FC Sion: Matthew De Gabriele Leads Armenian Clash

FIFA Referee Matthew De Gabriele has been appointed to take charge of the high-stakes third-qualifying round encounter between Armenian side FC Noah and Swiss club FC Sion.

De Gabriele will be supported on the pitch by an all-Maltese team of assistants, with Jurgen Spiteri and Mitchell Scerri serving as FIFA Assistant Referees, and Alex Johnson acting as the Fourth Official.

To ensure precision, Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology will be in operation for the fixture. The VAR duties will be handled by Jonas Hansen (Denmark) as Video Assistant Referee and Jakob Alexander Sundberg (Denmark) as Assistant Video Assistant Referee.

Match Details: FC Noah (ARM) vs. FC Sion (SUI)
Date: Thursday, August 6, 2026
Venue: Abovyan City Stadium, Armenia
Kick-off: 18:00 CEST

HNK Rijeka vs. Ilves Tampere: Ishmael Barbara Takes Charge in Croatia

In another major international assignment, FIFA Referee Ishmael Barbara has been selected to officiate the third-qualifying round showdown between Croatian powerhouse HNK Rijeka and Finnish side Ilves Tampere.

Barbara will be assisted by FIFA Assistant Referees Luke Portelli and James Muscat, alongside Slobodan Petrovic who takes up the role of Fourth Official.

The match will also feature a dedicated VAR setup, overseen by Scottish officials Steven McLean as Video Assistant Referee and Christopher Graham as Assistant Video Assistant Referee.