Floriana’s UEFA Champions League first qualifying round clash against Shamrock Rovers at the Centenary Stadium will be handled by German official Benjamin Brand, with UEFA appointing an all-German refereeing team for the match.
Brand, 36, is one of Germany’s rising referees on the international scene. The DFB lists him as a DFB referee since 2010, a 2. Bundesliga referee since 2012, and a Bundesliga referee since 2015. He became a FIFA Video Assistant Referee in 2025 before being added as a FIFA referee in 2026.
His domestic experience is already considerable. Brand has taken charge of 98 Bundesliga matches and 65 in the Bundesliga’s second tier.
During the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign, Brand was trusted with several notable appointments. These included Borussia Dortmund’s 1-0 win over Cologne on 25 October, Dortmund’s 3-3 draw against Stuttgart on 22 November, and RB Leipzig’s 2-2 draw with Borussia Dortmund on 21 February. Soccerbase lists him with 19 matches across the Bundesliga, 2. Bundesliga and German Cup that season, showing 71 yellow cards and three red cards.
Brand’s European profile has so far been shaped mainly through VAR duties. UEFA records show him as VAR for Iceland vs Ukraine in the European Qualifiers, while Slovenian FA records also list him as AVAR for Chelsea vs Barcelona in the Champions League.
For Floriana, the appointment brings a referee with strong German top-flight experience and growing international exposure. However, Brand is still a relatively new FIFA centre referee, making this another important step in his European progression.
