| Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano (UECL Final) | Information: |
| Date | Wednesday, May 27, 2026 |
| Kick-off Time | 20:00 BST |
| Venue | Red Bull Arena Leipzig, Germany |
| Competition | UEFA Conference League |
| Referee | Maruizio Mariani |
There are 15 days until Crystal Palace face Rayo Vallecano in their first-ever European final. The two sides meet in the UEFA Conference League final at Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany, on May 27th.
Palace won’t be the only ones debuting in a European final. UEFA has confirmed that Maurizio Mariani will take charge of the match.
Mariani will thus be officiating his first UEFA club competition final. The Italian has experienced such an occasion as he was the fourth official in last year’s UEFA Europa League final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.
Who Officiates Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano?
Mariani is an Italian official who officiates in Serie A and his first major appointment came back in October 2020. He took charge of the Milan derby between Inter and AC Milan.
The 44-year-old earned a promotion to elite referee category with UEFA in 2024. He has since been a regular in the Champions League, officiating seven matches.
Mariani will be joined in Leipzig by Italian compatriots Daniele Bindoni and Alberto Tegoni as his assistants. Glenn Nyberg of Sweden has been appointed as the fourth official, and he has 13 years of experience as a full international referee.
The reserve assistant referee will be Nyberg’s compatriot, Mahbod Beigi, who previously officiated at last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup. The pair have worked together, including in matches at that competition.
Who is in the VAR Room?
To align with the Italian’s leading the match, the VAR team is Italian-speaking and led by Marco Di Bello. He has been a FIFA referee since 2018 and has years of experience in the VAR room.
Joining Di Bello is his assistant, Daniele Chiffi, while Croat Ivan Bebek will serve as VAR support. The latter has made the pre-select list of referees for this summer’s World Cup.
UEFA Conference League Final Officiating Team
- Referee: Maurizio Mariani (Italy)
- Assistant referees: Daniele Bindoni and Alberto Tegoni (Italy)
- Fourth official: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
- Reserve assistant referee: Mahbod Beigi (Sweden)
- VAR: Marco Di Bello (Italy)
- Assistant VAR: Daniele Chiffi (Italy)
- VAR support: Ivan Bebek (Croatia)
