Two Maltese refereeing teams have been entrusted with assignments in this week’s UEFA club competition qualifiers, with officials from Malta appointed in both the Champions League and Conference League.
Matthew De Gabriele will lead the team appointed for the Champions League second qualifying-round first leg between Sweden’s Mjällby AIF and Gibraltar champions Lincoln Red Imps.
The match is scheduled for Tuesday at Strandvallen in Sölvesborg, with kick-off at 18:00. De Gabriele will be assisted by Mitchell Scerri and David Castillo, while Daniel Casha has been named fourth official.
Italian officials Gianluca Aureliano and Daniele Paterna will complete the team as video assistant referee and assistant video assistant referee respectively.
Farrugia takes charge in Skopje
Philip Farrugia has meanwhile been selected to referee the Conference League second qualifying-round meeting between North Macedonian side Vardar and Latvia’s Riga FC.
That first-leg contest will be played at the National Arena Todor Proeski in Skopje on Wednesday, starting at 20:00. Farrugia’s assistant referees will be Mark Ciantar and Kurt Owen Saliba, with Daniel Portelli serving as fourth official.
UEFA’s official fixture information confirms both ties and the Maltese appointments. The two assignments place eight Maltese match officials on duty across separate European club competitions during the same qualifying week.
Further European recognition
The appointments add to a growing list of international assignments for Maltese officials. Maltasport has also reported on Ishmael Barbara’s selection for the 2025 UEFA Under-21 Championship, another notable appointment for refereeing in Malta.
De Gabriele’s match forms part of the Champions League champions path. Mjällby and Lincoln Red Imps are competing for a place in the third qualifying round, with the return leg scheduled in Gibraltar on 28 July.
Vardar and Riga are also beginning a two-leg tie, with the return match set for Latvia on 28 July. The winners will advance to meet either Atert Bissen of Luxembourg or Hungary’s Győri ETO in the Conference League third qualifying round.
For the Maltese officials, the appointments represent another opportunity to work at UEFA level during the opening weeks of the 2026/27 European season.
