Gil Manzano becomes the first Spanish to referee the Champions League league phase

Jesús Gil Manzano will make history as the first Spanish referee in the Champions League league phase. As Mundo Deportivo reports, the Extremaduran official has been appointed to referee Fenerbahçe–Roma on Thursday, as the first matchday of the league phase wraps up with six additional games.

First Spanish in the round

The match is scheduled for 18:45 in Istanbul, and it will mark the debut of a Spanish referee at this stage of Europe’s top club competition under the league-phase format.

Gil Manzano’s crew includes Juan Martínez Munuera as fourth official, with Guadalupe Porras Ayuso and Diego Barbero as assistant referees. The VAR role will be taken by César Soto Grado, while Valentín Pizarro will support from the VOR room.

Waiting for the rest

The piece adds that, among the first 18 European fixtures, Gil Manzano and Martínez Munuera are the only two of the eight referees currently involved who hold FIFA insignia and have already been assigned at this early stage. It will take next week’s Europa League round to see whether the remaining six referees get their debuts in the league phase.

Finally, Mundo Deportivo points out that Spain’s top referees in the Europa League—Alejandro Hernández Hernández and José María Sánchez Martínez—are among those to watch.