The 37-year-old Romanian referee who oversaw Manchester City against Real Madrid in the first leg of last season’s Champions League semifinal is back in focus as Liverpool host Real Madrid in the next knockout round. Istvan Kovacs will be in the middle for the pivotal clash, and his appointment is drawing attention from fans and analysts alike who believe every whistle could influence the outcome.
Real Madrid will travel to Anfield to face Klopp’s side on Tuesday, with the aim of clinching a spot in the next phase of Europe’s premier competition. Kovacs, born in Romania, stands as the match official for what promises to be a tightly contested encounter, underscoring how a single decision can ripple through the game.
Who is Istvan Kovacs, the referee selected for Liverpool versus Real Madrid in the round of 16 of the 2022-23 Champions League? Kovacs has prior experience at Anfield in the same competition, having refereed the first leg of the previous season’s semifinal between Real Madrid under Carlo Ancelotti and Manchester City, a 4-3 affair that kept the tie alive before the return leg.
Kovacs has also overseen other high-stakes matches in Europe. In the group stage he took charge of a Sevilla victory by 2-1 against Lille, and this season he supervised Bruges’ 2-0 win over Atlético de Madrid. The Romanian official, who is 37 years old and has been officiating internationally since 2010, will oversee his fourteenth Champions League match at Anfield.
In this edition of the tournament’s Club World Cup cycle, Kovacs officiated the semi-finals, including Flamengo versus Al Hilal. He will be supported at Anfield by fellow Romanian referees Vasile Florin Marinescu and Ovidiu Artene, while the VAR duties will be conducted by Italians Massimiliano Irrati and Marco Guida.
How far will Liverpool go in the 2023 Champions League?
- round of 16
- Quarterfinals
- Semi finals
- Last
1279 to vote
Thank you for voting
The results will appear shortly.
How far will Liverpool go in the 2023 Champions League?
- 54%round of 16
- twenty-one%Quarterfinals
- 12%Semi finals
- 14%Last
1279 to vote