The Breton François Letexier (35) was appointed by UEFA to arbitrate the quarter -final return of the Champions League between Real Madrid and Arsenal. Crushed (3-0) by the Gunners at the Emirates, Real Madrid hopes to reverse the trend at Bernabéu, and will need an almost miracle. To officer in a stadium where it could be severely reprimanded given the context, and each of its scrutinized, dissected decisions, UEFA has chosen a referee experienced in this type of atmosphere.
Sacred best referee of the last euro, François Letexier regularly officiates in major European competitions, in the Europa League (17) as in the Champions League (19). It will be his seventh C1 game in 2024-2025. This season, Letexier has already arbitrated Real Madrid in Liverpool, and Barça twice, but not yet Arsenal. Above all, he knows the Bernabeu for having to face it several times already during his career.
FRAPPART will officiate as 4th referee
Latexier was at the whistle for the trip from Chelsea to Madrid, in the quarter-finals of the 2022-2023 edition of the C1. Last season, François Letexier arbitrated Real at home against Naples in the group stage, and in the quarter -final against Manchester City. With François Letexier on the whistle, Real Madrid has never lost in Bernabéu (3 games, 2 victories and a draw).
Cyril Mugnier and Mehdi Rahmouni, who already officiated by his side in the same stadium, a year ago, will assist the Bonth Bonie du Real Madrid, appointed best referee in the world in 2024 by the International Federation of History and Statistics of Football. Stéphanie FRAPPART, chosen for the Euro Éminin organized in Switzerland this summer, was appointed 4th referee. Jérôme Brisard was appointed video assistant and will be supported in his functions by Bastien Dechepy.
Original article published on RMC Sport
