Björn Kuipers from the Netherlands will take charge of the Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid on Wednesday at 20.45 CEST, UEFA announced on Monday. The 45-year-old is a seasoned match official with World Cup, European Championship and Champions League experience. He has overseen three matches involving FC Bayern, and all three games were successful from a Bayern point of view: two victories, a 3-2 win against SSC Napoli in the 2011/12 group stage and a 3-1 victory over Manchester City in the 2013/14 group stage. He also oversaw the 2-2 draw against Benfica in the 2015/16 quarter-final return leg, which was enough to advance to the last four. Kuipers has taken charge of a number of games involving Real, including their 3-1 victory away to Dortmund in this season's group stage.
Topics of this article