UEFA has stirred debate with its refereeing appointment for the Europa League play-off tie between Aberdeen and FCSB, set for August 21 in Scotland. Dutch official Serdar Gozubuyuk will take charge of the first leg, assisted by countrymen Erwin Zeinstra and Patrick Inia, with Joey Kooij named fourth official. In the VAR booth, experienced referee Pol van Boekel will be joined by Robin Hensgens.
Gozubuyuk’s selection has raised eyebrows in Romania, as the 38-year-old referee has previously faced allegations of controversial decisions and suspected match manipulation in domestic competitions. While no sanctions were ever confirmed, his past has made the appointment a talking point ahead of the high-stakes play-off. UEFA has declined to comment on the controversy.
Meanwhile, CFR Cluj also learned the officials for their Conference League play-off against Swedish side BK Hacken. The first leg, also on August 21, will be handled by Swiss referee Lukas Faehndrich, with assistants Guillaume Maire and Nicolas Muller. Mirel Turkes acts as fourth official, while VAR duties will be shared between England’s Darren England and Switzerland’s Sven Wolfensberger.
The return leg in Cluj-Napoca on August 28 will be overseen by Austrian referee Sebastian Gishamer, supported by assistants Roland Riedel and Santino Schreiner.
